Ex  Libris 

Cat  and  Henry  H.  Bucher 


H.   BUCHER 

B.   P.  80 

LIBREVILLE 

GABON 


The  Flaming  Torch 


IN 


DARKEST  AFRICA 


BY 


WILLIAM    TAYLOR,    D.D.,    LL.D, 


BISHOP   OF    AFRICA 


WITH    AN    INTRODUCTION    BY 

HENRY    M.    STANLEY,    M.P. 


NEW  YORK:    EATON   6c    MAINS 


Copyright  by 

EATON  &  MAINS. 

1898. 


PREFACE 


IN  the  pages  of  this  volume  I  have  endeavored  to  set 
before  the  reader  the  dark  land  of  Africa  in  the  past, 
with  a  gradual  transition  to  the  present. 

I  have  introduced  the  struggles  of  the  early  travelers,  not 
only  on  account  of  the  intense  interest  of  the  record  of  un- 
paralleled personal  adventure,  but  to  draw  a  contrast  be- 
tween their  methods  of  exploration  and  those  of  recent 
explorers  which  have  practically  redeemed  the  lost  continent. 
Men  in  the  past  centuries  fought  awful  duels  with  death  in 
the  swamps  and  jungles  of  Africa  to  win  riches  or  fame  in 
their  native  land.  The  real  redemption  of  the  heathen  was 
the  last  thing  they  considered.  Exceptions  there  are,  truly, 
but  the  efforts  even  in  these  cases  were  puerile,  and  proved 
by  their  lack  of  fruit  to  be  without  divine  guidance.  Who 
can  fail,  after  reviewing  the  work  of  all  the  explorers  down 
to  Livingstone  and  Stanley,  to  acknowledge  that  these  were 
God-chosen  men?  To  me  it  is  just  one  of  the  Almighty's 
w'ondrous  ways  of  working.  Before  Livingstone  His  time 
had  not  yet  come,  but  the  death  of  the  doctor  marked  the 
deciding  point.  Then  came  Stanle)' — the  one  man  in  the 
world  who  had  the  pluck,  the  power,  and  the  knowledge  to 
be  the  pioneer  of  Africa's  redemption.  He  had  already  been 
tested,  and  his  enthusiasm  had  become  an  inspiration.  The 
power  and  the  means  came  with  the  will.  There  was  a 
divine  order  in  everything. 

True,  blood  has  flowed,  but  are  there  not  many  examples 
in  past  history  where  heroic  measures  were  absolutely  neces- 
sary for  the  cause  of  a  nation's  salvation  ?  The  "  open  sore 
of  the  world  "  had  been  penetrated  by  the  all-seeing  eye  of 
Heaven,  and  God  permitted  the  nations  to  step  in  and  wrest 


6  Preface 

the  poor  heathen,  not  alone  from  the  awful  devastating 
Arab  thieves  of  human  beings,  but  from  their  own  ignorant 
superstition  and  internecine  war  and  destruction.  The  work 
has  but  begun,  and  it  will  doubtless  go  on  until  one  day 
Africa  may  lead  the  world  in  learning  and  culture  and  be  a 
continent  covered  with  virtuous  peoples,  loving  and  fearing 
the  Lord  who  has  permitted  their  painful  afflictions  and 
mercifully  redeemed  them. 

Since  the  object  of  this  volume  was  but  to  deal  with  the 
"  dark  land  "  I  have  deemed  it  prudent  not  to  delve  into 
the  past  civilization  of  the  North.  The  ruins  of  Karnak 
and  the  records  of  the  Rosetta  stone  are  fascinating  alike 
to  the  historian  and  Egyptologist,  or  the  Zimbabwe  ruins- 
also  may  indicate  a  great  civilization  of  the  past,  but  at 
best  these  lead  but  to  speculations  and  are  not  to  be  con- 
sidered in  the  general  design  of  this  book.  The  heathen 
and  his  redemption  is  the  one  theme  nearest  my  heart. 

I  have  endeavored  to  show  by  a  few  examples  the  alter- 
nate good  and  bad  qualities  of  the  native,  to  illustrate  the 
horrors  of  superstition,  and  the  necessity  for  light  ;  and  I 
have  carefully  reviewed  the  mission  work  which  has  been 
carried  on  in  the  past  in  various  parts  of  Africa.  The  mis- 
sion work  is  the  Flaming  Torch — bearing  the  light  of  the 
Truth. 

It  is  only  fair  to  Mr.  Stanley  to  say  that  when  he  favored 
my  book  with  his  introduction  the  general  arrangement  had 
not  embraced  his  work  in  Africa.  I  saw,  however,  that  in 
dealing  with  the  subject  of  Africa's  redemption  it  was  neces- 
sary to  deal  with  him  as  I  have  done.  There  is  no  fulsome 
praise.  Every  word  regarding  this  great  man  is  just,  and 
his  noble  example  of  self-abnegation  and  achievement  will 
be  held  up  to  the  youth  of  many  future  generations. 


CONTENTS 


Page 

Preface 5 

List  of  Illustrations i^ 

Introduction ; ig 

FIRST  DIVISION 

The  Dark  Land 23 

Ancient  Africa 32 

The  Invasions  of  Islam 42 

The  History  of  the  Dark  Land,  with  its  political  power, 
miliiary  glory,  arts,  and  sciences,  almost  totally  eclipsed  by  its  degen- 
eracy into  the  darkness  of  heathenism.  The  archives  of  ancient  history, 
the  records  of  enduring  monuments  and  graven  stone,  have  yielded  up 
their  fairest  gems  under  this  modern  search  light.  Bright  lights  glim- 
mer among  the  shadows  of  the  past  as  virtues  shine  forth  amid  the  moral 
darkness  of  the  people.  Carthage,  the  greatest  maritime  and  commer- 
cial state  of  antiquity,  through  her  extensive  connections,  brought  Herod- 
otus, the  earliest  and  most  interesting  of  Greek  historians,  into  personal 
touch  with  the  wide  region  extending  from  the  Nile  to  the  Atlantic.  The 
philosophers  of  Memphis ;  the  great  Latin  geographer,  Mela ;  noblemen 
of  Persia ;  King  Necho,  of  Egypt ;  and  Eudoxus,  who  lived  about  one 
hundred  and  thirty  years  before  Christ,  report  their  investigations,  includ- 
ing the  discoveries  of  large  centers  of  civilized  peoples,  who  were  later 
overwhelmed  by  barbarous  nations.  After  the  Roman  conquest  the 
invasion  of  Islam  forms  a  momentous  epoch.  In  seventy  years  it  ex- 
pelled Europe  ;  in  seven  hundred  years  marched  to  the  center  of  the 
continent — a  thrilling  record  of  the  sword  !  Gathered  from  the  most 
authentic  sources ;  grouped  in  subjects  of  greatest  helpfulness  to  those 
who  study  the  Dark  Continent  from  every  point  of  interest ;  entertainly 
told  for  all  classes  and  all  ages — this  forms  an  important  division  of  this 
the  first  historv  of  Africa. 


8  Contents 

SECOND  DIVISION 

Page 
The  Portuguese  and  Dutch 53 

England  and  France  Explore  Africa 69 

An  African  Association 87 

Mungo  Park   96 

Horneman,  Campbell,  Tuckey,  etc 116 

The  New  Era 129 

About  Lake  Tchad 132 

In  Campbell's  Footsteps ^ 1 58 

The  Romance  of  Exploration,  a  thrilling  account  of  the  per- 
sonal adventures  of  ancient  and  modern  travelers,  presents  a  vast  variety 
of  experiences,  "  now  grave,  now  gay."  Of  the  more  than  seven  hundred 
explorers  who  have  traveled  in  Africa,  five  hundred  and  fifty  of  whom 
there  found  their  last  resting  place,  have  been  selected  those  least 
known  in  literature,  to  provide  a  fund  of  anecdotes  hitherto  unknown  to 
the  general  reader.  These  graphically  picture  the  great  forests,  various 
flowering  plants  of  delicate  hues,  and  products  of  native  culture;  animal 
life  in  all  its  diversified  forms,  from  the  clumsy  elephant  to  the  graceful 
gazelle,  and  the  serpents  and  insects  that  abound.  The  fortunes  and 
misfortunes  of  travelers  through  these  wild  regions,  "  hairbreadth " 
escapes,  and  complete  annihilation  of  entire  expeditions,  form  a  romance 
from  real  life.  Adventures  with  wild  beasts  and  wilder  tribes  of  men  are 
relieved  now  and  again  by  pretty  native  customs  or  an  unexpected  hos- 
pitality. As  in  the  long  marches  of  many  a  traveler  across  the  trackless 
desert  there  was  here  and  there  an  oasis,  so  in  the  experiences  of  those 
who  have  entered  the  country  by  every  avenue  of  approach  have  come 
delightful  incidents  and  scenes  of  real  merriment  in  the  dense  forests  and 
upon  the  high  mountains  of  the  mysterious  continent. 

THIRD  DIVISION 

Page 

Livingstone's  Discoveries 169 

Stanley's  Discoveries 1 86 

The  Dawn  of  Day  in  Africa,  the  period  of  real  exploration 
and  valuable  discovery,  began  with  the  advent  of  Livingstone,  the  pioneer 
of  Christian  civilization  in  heathen  Africa.  The  well-known  record  is 
not  here  reproduced  ;  but  as  he  led  the  advance  that  became  the  true 


Contents  9 

type  of  exploration  the  most  interesting  events  of  his  life  open  the  chap- 
ters that  here  form  the  life  story  of  the  heroic  host  that  followed  him. 
His  death  revealed  the  grandeur  of  his  discoveries  and  enlisted  great  men 
for  the  accomplishment  of  the  task  he  had  begun.  In  this  unraveling  of 
a  tangled  web,  the  solution  of  more  important  problems  than  the  dis- 
covery of  the  North  Pole,  involving  the  gift  to  the  world  of  a  continent 
comprising  one  fifth  of  its  land  area,  the  leadership  was  divinely  assigned 
to  Stanley.  He  opened  up  the  only  practical  way  for  the  redemption  of 
the  lost  races  of  the  dark  land,  laid  the  foundations  of  empire,  and  intro- 
duced methods  which  have  been  successfully  followed  by  the  real  ex- 
plorers of  Africa.  The  records  of  these  men,  who  have  penetrated  every 
forest,  climbed  each  mountain,  and  navigated  all  the  lakes  and  rivers,  are 
combined  in  this  division,  portraying  the  achievements  of  the  real  dis- 
coverers of  the  Land  of  the  Black. 


FOURTH  DIVISION 

Page 

Islam  and  the  Natives 197 

Commercial  and  Domestic 207 

The  Kaffirs  a  Century  Ago 213 

Native  Religion  and  Fetichism 226 

Worship  of  the  Yorubas 233 

Human  Sacrifices 240 

Cruel  Native  Tyrants — Uganda's  Despot  and   Sepopo 249 

Sacrificed  to  Crocodiles 266 

The  Zulus  and  "Judicial  "  Murders 278 

Religious  Superstitions  in  Garenganze 287 

The  Legendary  Lore 296 

Folk  Tales  of  Angola 301 

Heathen  Africa^  the  "habitation  of  cruelty"of  those  who  "sit  in  dark- 
ness and  the  shadow  of  death,"  presents  the  living  picture  of  the  real  inner 
life  of  the  lost  world  as  it  appealed  for  redemption  to  the  sympathizing  heart 
of  the  Son  of  God.  The  traditional  superstitious  beliefs  that  dominate  every 
wild  tribe  form  the  dark  background  of  the  picture,  from  which  stands 
out  in  bold  relief  every  manifestation  of  mysterious  art  and  savage  cruelty. 
In  the  center,  its  branches  reaching  out  into  every  avenue  of  thought,  its 
roots  penetrating  the  soil  of  every  endeavor,  flourishes  the  banyan  tree  of 
polygamy.     Among  the  flowers  of  innocent  pleasure,  the  twining  vines  of 


10  Contents 

domestic  life,  and  the  luxuriant  foliage  of  diversified  customs,  lies,  half 
concealed,  the  serpent,  witchcraft,  robbing  the  beautiful  bloom  of  its 
sweetness,  breathing  through  the  delicate  tendrils  of  the  vine,  poisoning 
every  green  herb.  Eden  is  transformed  into  hades !  On  the  river  bank 
the  crocodile's  mouth  receives  the  infant  sacrifice  ;  the  slender  tree  bends 
to  toss  aloft  the  decapitated  head  of  the  kneeling  captive;  into  the  yawn- 
ing earth  tumble  the  living  victims  of  the  burial  service ;  the  helpless 
mother  may  not  escape  the  agony  inflicted  by  the  devouring  ants.  It 
is  an  awful  picture  !  Beautiful  legends  of  folklore,  and  qunint  customs 
relating  to  the  principal  events  of  life,  form  the  side  lights  of  this  lifelike 
representation  of  the  horrors  of  heathenism. 


FIFTH  DIVISION 

Page 

To  a  Sure  Foundation 3- ' 

Apostolic  and  Early  Modern  Missions 331 

Christianizing  Wild  Tribes 342 

Increase  of  the  Advancing  Host 35^ 

Scotch  Missions  and  Methods 368 

Abyssinia  and  Uganda   375 

Triumphs  in  Madagascar 3^4 

The  Gospel  in  Mohammedan  Centers.  .    39° 

Land  of  the  White  Man's  Grave 399 

The  Gospel  on  the  Gold  Coast ...    408 

INIissions  West  and  Southwest 416 

Light  in  the  Valley  of  the  Congo 4-6 

The  Gospel  in  South  Central  Africa 437 

Mission  to  Garenganze 445 

Methodist  Industrial  Missions 453 

Practical  Princii)lcs  of  Self-support    ....    460 

Fate  of  the  First  Party 467 

The  Church  in  the  Wilderness 475 

Missionary  Heroes  and  Heroines 49° 

Heroes  of  the  Congo 498 

Early  Days  of  the  Repui)lic  of  Liberia 510 


\ 


Contents  1 1 

Page 

Heathen  Tribes  on  the  Cavnlla 5 '6 

Advance  up  the  Sinoe  River 5-" 

Kroo  Coast  Experiences 53^ 

The  Gospel  in  Tonga 55' 

The  Torch  in  a  Strong  Hand 555 

My  Latest  EvangeHstic  Tour 5^8 

The  Heathen's  Redemption.  Missionary  triumphs  in  heathen 
darkness  display  the  choicest  string  of  pearls  in  this  collection  of  wonderful 
events  and  history  of  heroic  lives  in  this  land  of  greatest  interest  to  the 
Christian  world.  This  record  of  the  heroic  service  and  sacrifice  that  have 
accomplished  such  glorious  victories  reads  like  a  second  edition  of  the 
Book  of  Acts.  These  light-bearers  of  divine  truth  have  penetrated  the 
densest  darkness  with  life  and  hope,  striking  off  the  chains  that  bound 
both  body  and  soul,  and  building  Christian  empires.  From  the  first  Chris- 
tian missionary  to  interior  Africa,  tlie  Ethiopian  eunuch  baptized  and  com- 
missioned by  Philip,  to  the  last  martyr  on  the  Congo,  is  tenderly  traced 
the  great  events  in  the  lives  that  have  been  laid  on  the  altar  of  Africa's 
redemption.  This  one  division  of  the  book  is  a  library  of  all  the  missions 
of  all  the  missionary  societies  of  all  denominations;  not  a  statistical  exhibit 
merely,  but  an  intensely  interesting  story.  The  facile  pen  of  Bishop  J.  C. 
Hartzell  portrays  the  progress  of  Methodist  missions,  with  an  interesting 
account  of  his  travels  in  the  Dark  Continent,  This  section  also  contains 
an  account  of  the  mission  work  and  personal  adventures  of  the  author, 
including  his  latest  campaign  in  South  Africa— the  hitherto  unwritten 
chapters  of  his  life. 

SIXTH  DIVISION  p^g^ 

Africa's  Partition  and  Promise 5^7 

Dr.  Ravenstein's  Political  Division  of  Africa  in  1893 60I 

Africa  :  Present  and  Future 604 

Africa's  People  and  Languages 616 

The  Open  Sore ^33 

The  Mines  at  Kimberley ^39 

Retribution  and  Restitution "5' 

Division  of  the  Continent  and  Future  Development.     This 

section  has  itself  four  iiiiportaiU  divisions:  Social— the  disposition  of  the 
various  peoples  and  tribes,  their  languages,  manners,  and  customs  ;  Politi- 


12  Contents 

cal — the  partition  among  European  powers  and  their  advance  into  and 
development  of  protectorates  and  planting  of  colonies  ;  Commercial — pro- 
ducts of  the  country,  their  preparation  and  export,  mineral  wealth,  includ- 
ing a  chapter  on  the  greatest  diamond  fields  in  the  world  ;  and  the  glorious 
future  of  the  Dark  Continent,  now  emerging  into  light.  Here  we  bring 
the  "  First  History  of  Africa  "  down  to  date  in  the  present  distribution 
and  condition  of  her  peoples,  the  advance  of  civilization  in  railways,  sub- 
stantial cities  on  the  sites  of  heathen  capitals,  and  state  building.  Here 
is  recorded  every  important  event  that  contributes  to  the  making  of  a 
new  world  of  opportunity  for  marvelous  achievement  and  the  interesting 
incidents  connected  with  its  unfolding.  It  freely  discusses  the  South 
African  question,  British  or  Boer  supremacy,  the  Portuguese  and  German 
situation  in  the  East,  Congo  State's  future,  the  French  territorial  delimi- 
tation in  the  West,  and  the  supremacy  of  the  cross  over  the  crescent  in 
the  Soudan,  including  the  recent  British  occupancy  following  the  fall  of 
Omdurman  and  the  avenging  of  Gordon. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 

Portrait  of  the  Author Frontispiece 

A  North  African  Belle 25 

In  the  Nubian  Forest 28 

Chimpanzees 30 

African  Elephant 31 

Negro  Type  of  North  Africa 35 

Mauri  in  Forest  of  Bananas 39 

A  Ship  of  the  Desert 41 

The  City  of  Tangier 44 

The  Ancient  City  of  Fez   47 

Type  of  the  Northwest 51 

Wife  of  Marango  Chief 57 

Mammalia  of  the  East  African  Steppe 63 

Cattle  of  the  Boers 68 

Hippopotami 72 

Ring-tailed  Monkeys T] 

The  Dahoman  Type 83 

Negress  of  the  Upper  Niger pr 

The  Leopard 95 

Timbuctoo  from  the  East 98 

Drawing  Water  from  the  Nile loi 

Albino  Negress 109 

A  Leaf  Dwelling 115 

Habitation  of  the  Forest  Dwellers 119 

Arab  of  Upper  Congo 123 

Civilized  Dahomans '25 

Americo-Liberian  and  Native i  -8 


14  Illustrations 

Page 

Gazelles ,-,- 

Ij3 

Natives  of  Bornou i  ^n 

Musician  of  French  Guinea i  .g 


Baralongs    Pursuing  Zebras i  eg 

Timbuctoo  from  the  North j5^ 

Wa-ganda  Boatmen jg- 

Home  Life  of  the  Makololo 171 

Market  Scene  at  Nyangvve , 1 7  r 

Dr.  Emil  Holub j g^ 

Mrs.  Dr.  Emil  Holub ig. 

Cattle  Transportation 18^ 

Henry  M.  Stanley,  M.P 186 

Prime  Minister  of  Uganda 188 

The  Heart  of  Livingstone 190 

East  African  Tower 102 

King  M'wanga lo^ 

Malagasy  Embassage 195 

Ba-Tlipen  Women  in  the  Field 201 

A  Worker  in  Iron 205 

Habitations  and  Game  Dance  of  the  Ma-Sar\va 209 

Earthnuts  (Arachis  hypogsea) 212 

Heathen  Kaffir  Dance 215 

Heathen  Kafifirs  at  a  Great  Beer  Drink 219 

Camel  Caravan  at  Rest 225 

Carriers  of  a  Native  Expedition 229 

Chief  and  his  Family 232 

The  Bay  of  Cameroons   235 

The  Rhinoceros 239 

A  Houssa  Soldier 243 

Oasis  of  the  Desert 248 

Wa-ganda  Warriors 251 

The  Ma-Rutse  King,  Sepopo 255 

Matebele  Warriors 259 

Sepopo's  Serving  Maid 264 

Wangbattu  Boatmen  and  Village 269 

A  Typical  Witch  Doctor 274 


Illustrations  15 

Page 

Zebra  of  the  Uplands 277 

A  Zulu  Family 280 

Fair  Zulus  in  Full  Dress 283 

Types  of  Lake  Victoria 291 

A  Curious  Native  Salutation 295 

Punishment  of  a  Prisoner ". 300 

Mission  Station 303 

Type  of  Upper  Congo  Native 31 1 

A  Forest  Habitation .  .  316 

Mammoth  Palms  of   Madagascar   319 

Native  Salutation 324 

Childhood  Type 327 

Hottentot  Kraal , 333 

Rock  Village  of  Mashakulumbe 337 

Uncivilized  Girls  of  Pondoland 345 

Ba-Mangwato  Woman  at  Work 349 

Christianized  Girls  of  Pondoland 353 

Port  Durban,  Natal   357 

In  the  Baobab  Forest. 362 

Unchristianized  Pondo  Women 365 

Native  Dwelling  on  Ant-hill 369 

City  and  Harbor  of  Zanzibar 371 

Rubaga,  Highest  City  in  Uganda 377 

A  Home  in  Uganda. 379 

Mount  Kilima-Njaro 381 

Hova  Type 385 

The  Queen  and  her  Sister 386 

Queen's  Palace  and  French  Residence 388 

Semicivilized  Habitation 389 

Arab  Type 391 

City  of  Khartoom 393 

Oran,  Algeria 393 

The  Citadel  in  Cairo '. ....  395 

Freetown,  Sierra  Leone 400 

A  Somali  Type 401 

Camp  in  a  Banana  Plantation 4^3 


16  Illustrations 

Page 

West  Coast  Fetich  House 411 

A  Boy  of  the  Coast 414 

Efulen  Mission,  West  Coast 417 

Rev.  Robert  Nassau 420 

Church  at  Kangwe,  West  Coast 422 

Woman  of  Bailundu 424 

Matadi,  on  the  Congo 428 

Lofanza — Congo-Bololo  Steamship  "  Pioneer  " 431 

Mission  Steamer  on  the  Congo 434 

Children  of  Swedish  Mission 435 

Encampment  on  the  Plains 439 

A  Barotse  Hut 442 

Barotse  Types 444 

Entrance  to  the  Palace 447 

Coillard  Mission 449 

Royal  Party  on  the  March 454 

A  Mounted  Trader 456 

Saint  Paul  de  Loanda 458 

Galla  Type 462 

Kano,  Sokoto 464 

A  Fleet  of  Canoes 468 

Carriers  on  the  Path 47 1 

Aye-aye,  Squirrel  of  Africa 477 

A  Forest  Encampment 480 

Temporary  Mountain  Encampment 481 

GrUiding  at  the  Mill 487 

.^vng6la  Plantation  Buildings 493 

Rev.  S.  J.  and  Ardella  Mead 496 

On  Congo  Shores 499 

Missionary  Postal  Service 501 

Punishment  of  Congo  Slave 503 

Bangala,  on  the  Congo 505 

Landing  at  Banana  Beach 509 

Heathen  in  Full  Dress 511 

Natives  on  a  Journey 515 

Ma-Shupia  W^oman 517 


Illustrations  17 

Page 

Ma-Rutse  Man 519 

Natives  of  tlie  West  Coast 523 

Mission  House 527 

Group  of   Boys 529 

River  Carriers 531 

Camping  Under  a  Mimosa 538 

Entrance  to  tlie  Village 541 

The  Devil  Doctor 547 

The  Camel  Driver 550 

Tizora  and  Muti 552 

Farangwana  and  Mabumbi 553 

Bishop  J.  C.  Hartzell 556 

Salisbury,  Mashonaland 560 

A  Madamba,  tlie  African  Piano 563 

Cape  Town  and  Table  Mountain 569 

Rev.  William  Flint 572 

Rev.  James   Thompson 572 

Railway  Station  in  the  Karroo 573 

Bloemfontein,  Orange  Free  State ...  574 

Pretoria,  Transvaal 575 

A  Breakdown  on  the  Road 576 

Interpreter  Mdolomba 577 

Bishop  Taylor  and  Native  Congregation 579 

Mr.  HuUy,  Founder  of  Shawbury  Mission 581 

"Wesleyan   Church,  Durban,  Natal 5S2 

A  Pondo  Herdsman 5S3 

Street  Scene  m  Johannesburg 585 

A  Portion  of  Ujiji 589 

Bongandanga  Blacksmith 592 

Lower  Falls  of  tlie  Congo 595 

M'wanga  Abroad   599 

Hospital  and  Palace  Hotel,  Buluwayo 605 

Arrival  of  Wool  at  Queenstown 606 

Madagascar  Queen's  Palace 607 

The  Negus  Meneiek 608 

Empress   Tauti 609 

9 


18  Illustrations 

Page 

Baiberton,  Transvaal 6io 

Cape  Town  to  Buluwayo 6i  i 

Wesleyan  Mission  House 613 

Country  Seat  of  Cecil  Rhodes 615 

Ama-Khosa  Chief 617 

Type  of  Bushman 618 

Malagasy  Type 619 

An  Ama-Tonga 623 

Young  Men  of  Garenganze 624 

Ba-Mangwato  Tailors 626 

A  Kabyle  Type 628 

Typical  Korannas 629 

A  War  Drum 630 

Fan  Palm  Tree 632 

Gathering  Dates 634 

Tonga  Town  of  Kambine 637 

Kimberley  Diamond  Fields 641 

Landscape  of  the  Transvaal 643 

Kaffir  King  Kreli 646 

A  Kafifir  Kraal 647 

Slatin  Pasha 649 

Map  of  Egypt  and  the  Soudan 653 

Capturing  Cattle 657 

View  of  Tiniis 659 

Crossing  Palm  Tree  Bridge 661 

Gordon  Avenged  ! 663 

Military  Occupation 667 


INTRODUCTION 


(D 


ANY  books  have  been  written  upon  Africa.  Some 
are  devoted  to  one  part  of  the  vast  continent,  and. 
some  to  another.  Several  writers  have  confined 
themselves  to  the  countries  the)'  have  explored,  while 
others  have  treated  of  the  ethnology,  physiology,  and  lan- 
guage of  the  various  peoples. 

It  is  no  mean  task  to  search  out  the  most  interesting  facts 
about  Africa  and  gather  them  all  together  as  links  in  a 
golden  chain  to  bind  the  burning  recoidsof  missionary  trials 
and  triumphs. 

In  the  volume  before  us  the  author  pictures  the  Darlc  Con- 
tinent with  facile  pen,  tcndcrlv  tracing  the  variations  of 
nature  in  the  fauna  and  flora  from  north  to  south  and  from 
east  to  west.  He  turns  the  veil  of  the  past  aside,  and  we 
catch  a  glimpse  of  the  Midnight  Empire  of  yesterdax',  and 
speculate  upon  its  dim  and  buried  past — its  civilization,  C(Mn- 
mercial  influence,  mihtcU'}'  i)o\ver,  and  la[xse  into  heathen- 
ism. The  ancient  history  of  Africa  and  the  record  of  the 
Mohammedan  aggression  and  possession,  with  their  com- 
mercial and  religious  influence  and  slax'e  trade,  are  interesting 
and  instructive.  The  period  of  earl)-  European  exploration 
and  individual  adventures,  together  with  the  later  explora- 
tions in  which  I  have  been  personall)'  interested,  are  chained 
together  in  delightful  vein. 

As  the  pages   roll  b)'   we   peruse    the  somber  records  of 
heathen   Africa  and   the  government  of  its  barbaric  poten- 


20  Introduction 

tates,  military  methods,  religions  and  superstitions,  social 
customs,  slavery,  and  the  horrors  of  human  sacrifice. 

The  sections  devoted  to  missionary  trials  and  triumphs  in 
Africa  are  of  world-wide  importance.  The  barriers  encoun- 
tered— the  climate,  the  geographical  difficulties,  languages, 
witchcraft,  and  polygamy,  and  the  prejudices  of  dense  igno- 
rance and  savage  natures — are  recorded  with  the  convinc- 
ing touch  of  experience. 

The  closing  chapters  of  this  unique  work,  on  the  political 
partition,  recent  discoveries  of  diamonds  and  gold,  and  the 
present  development,  are  full  of  information  which  is  up-to- 
date  and  reliable,  while  the  Bishop  speaks  of  Africa's  future 
in  prophetic  vein. 

The  title  adopted  by  the  Bishop  for  his  book  may  possibly 
be  considered  somewhat  sensational  by  those  unacquainted 
with  its  origin.  TJic  Flaming  TorcJi  in  Darkest  Africa,  how- 
ever, is  a  title  peculiarly  well  fitted  to  the  volume  he  has  pro- 
duced. The  natives  everywhere  in  the  territories  where 
his  missionary  work  called  him  knew  him  as  "The  Flam- 
ing Torch,"  or  "Fire  Stick,"  as  some  might  translate  the 
Zulu  word  Isikunisivutayo.  Therefore  in  speaking  of  him- 
self as  "The  FlamJng  Torch"  he  has  but  raised  a  fitting 
mental  monument  to  his  converts  in  Africa.  Since  the 
African  native  speaks  only  as  the  facts  impress  him, 
it  may  be  taken  for  granted  that  he  had  been  deeply 
impressed  by  the  beautiful  truths  taught,  and  the  man- 
ner in  which  they  had  been  conveyed  to  his  mind  by 
Bishop  Taylor. 

This  Grand  Old  Man  of  Africa  mission  work  was  indeed  a 
flaming  torch  of  light  and  truth  many,  many  years  ago,  when 
first  he  began  his  self-sacrificing  lifework  among  the  native 
people,  preaching  with  great  clearness  and  eloquence,  until 


Introduction  21 

he  touched  the  hearts  and  awakened  the  souls  which  seemed 
dead  to  all  but  debauchery  and  savage  instincts. 

At  one  of  the  great  religious  awakenings  not  less  than 
twelve  hundred  colonists  were  brought  to  a  sense  of  their 
responsibilities  to  the  Almighty  under  his  ministry,  and  the 
grand  work  spread  on  and  on,  from  kraal  to  kraal,  through- 
out the  native  territories,  until  it  was  known  that  over  seven 
thousand  of  the  native  Africans  had  been  converted.  Well 
might  the  natives  call  him  "  Isikunisivutayo." 

William  Taylor  was  the  God-chosen  man  for  the  work. 
He  inspired  his  co-workers,  not  only  by  his  words,  but  by  the 
force  of  his  example.  He  taught  the  people  how  to  make 
their  lives  happier  by  giving  them  object  lessons  in  many 
things.  When  he  founded  the  first  Protestant  missions  ii; 
the  territory  of  Angola,  he  discovered  large  districts  where 
the  people  suffered  from  want  of  water.  They  had  been  ac- 
customed to  carry  it  long  distances  as  their  forefathers  had 
done,  but  the  practical  Bishop  taught  them  how  to  dig  wells, 
and  thus  he  was  known  by  the  Ambundu  for  hundreds  of 
miles  as  "  The  Well-digger." 

Like  bearers  of  light  the  Christian  missionaries,  among 
whom  William  Taylor  was  conspicuous  by  his  indefatigable 
labors,  traveled  thousands  of  miles  through  swamp  and  jungle, 
impelled  by  the  noble  spirit  within  to  shed  forth  the  light 
of  truth  where  the  gloom  of  despair  and  heathenism  had 
hitherto  prevailed. 

For  his  long  journeys,  when  he  visited  the  various  missions 
under  his  charge  in  Liberia,  he  was  called  by  the  natives 
"The  Long-walker."  .\nd  so  he  was,  an  ever-moving,  tire- 
less Flaming  Torch  ;  and  the  Cavallas,  the  Veys,  the  Labolos, 
the  Grebos,  the  Kroos,  and  their  tribal  neighbors  would 
whisper  from  kraal  to  kraal,  and  tribe  to  tribe,  that  he  was 


22 


Introduction 


coining — not  Bishop  Taylor,  but  "The  Long-walker,"  "The 
Flaming  Torch  " — to  teach  them  the  truths  of  Christianity. 

Both  the  explorer  and  missionary  have  tramped  many 
thousands  of  miles,  braving  countless  dangers  in  the  explora- 
tion of  Africa,  and  the  results  to  that  vast  continent  are  im- 
measurably great ;  not  only  in  the  conversion  and  enlighten- 
ment of  the  heathen  races  there,  but  in  the  unfolding  to 
civilization  of  a  new  world  whose  resources  and  beauties  are 
well-nigh  be}'ond  the  most  extravagant  fancies  of  those  un- 
acquainted with  the  facts. 

If  there  is  no  duty  more  imperatively  binding  upon  Chris- 
tians than  that  of  striving  to  give  to  the  benighted  people  of 
the  world  the  light  of  the  Gospel,  there  can  be  no  question 
that  the  author  of  this  book  has  performed  his  duty  manfully 
and  well,  and,  although  he  is  now  bent  with  \ears  and  his 
voice  grown  weak,  his  brain  is  still  full  of  burning  thoughts, 
and  his  eye  is  eloquent  as  of  }-ore  ;  and  I  can  again  picture 
him  standing  beside  Usquebaugh,  the  interpreter,  surrounded 
b\'  hundreds  of  the  poor  savages,  as  he  whispers  the  words 
of  truth  to  be  translated  and  given  forth  to  the  willing  ears 
of  his  congregation. 

To  all  those  interested  in  the  development  of  Africa,  and 
the  elevation  of  its  people,  I  can  recommend  this  latest  book 
by  the  veter.in  Bishop,  for  the  variety  and  fullness  of  infor- 
mation it  contains,  and  the  large  hope  it  gives  that  persever- 
ing Christian  labor  is  not  in  vain  even  in  darkest  Africa. 


€ii^,4^^l^^ 


THE  FLAMING  TORCH 


IN 


DARKEST    AFRICA 


CHAPTER  I 
The    Dark   Land 

FRICA  is  of  all  the  continents  the 
most  truly  tropical.  Her  greatest 
breadth  is  under  the  immediate 
power  and  control  of  the  sun,  and 
the  majority  of  her  people  see 
that  orb  pass  over  their  heads 
twice  in  a  year  as  it  progresses 
from  tropic  to  tropic,  and  thus 
have  a  repetition  of  its  perpen- 
dicular rays.  Unfortunately,  she 
glares  on  Africa  with  oppression, 
converting  the  soil  into  a  naked 
desert  or  overspreading  it  with 
an  excess  of  animal  and  vegetable 
life.  When  not  watered  by  heavy  rains  or  inundations  of 
the  rivers,  the  soil  is  ofttimes  scorched  and  dried  up  until  it 
becomes  a  dreary  waste.  The  Great  Desert,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  narrow  valley  of  the  Nile,  reaches  across  the 
entire  continent,  and  the  traveler  may  wend  his  dreary  way 
across  these  burning  sands  for  many  da\-s  without  discovering 
a  drop  of  water,  or  viewing  the  least  vestige  of  x'egetable  or 
animal  life. 

That  the  whole  of  Africa's  surface  once  lay  beneath  the 

23 


24  The  Flaming  Torch 

waters  appears  probable,  but  there  is  no  proof  that  she 
emerged  later  than  other  continents.  The  earliest  records 
show  that  the  deserts  were  as  extensive  as  they  are  to-day, 
and  that  they  pressed  equally  close  upon  the  cultivated  belt 
along  the  northern  coast.  All  regions  between  the  tropics 
in  general,  when  not  copiously  watered,  molder  into  sand, 
alternating  with  a  hard  and  impenetrable  stratum  of  clay. 

Nature  has  tenderly  provided  Africa  with  remedies  to 
obviate  the  extreme  effects  of  the  tropical  sun.  Great  rivers, 
which  swollen  by  the  rains  overflow  their  banks  and  lay 
the  surrounding  country  underwater,  are  the  principal  source 
of  the  superabundant  vegetation  which  characterizes  the 
tropical  climes.  The  mountains  of  Africa  give  rise  to  sev- 
eral great  rivers  of  fertilizing  influence,  and  present  even  in 
so  hot  a  climate  pinnacles  wrapped  in  snow.  The  great  cen- 
tral range,  known  as  "The  Mountains  of  the  Moon,"  are  the 
most  extensive  and  influential ;  the  largest — the  Kilima- 
Njaro — rising  to  an  altitude  of  over  eighteen  thousand  feet. 

The  largest  of  the  rivers  which  direct  their  course  through 
a  vast  extent  of  low  land  reach  the  sea  only  by  a  very  cir- 
cuitous course.  Several  of  them,  too,  diffusing  their  waters 
into  lakes  or  marshes,  have  their  source  in  the  very  heart  of 
the  continent,  the  result  being  that  the  enormous  breadth 
of  the  Great  Desert  is  scarcely  irrigated  even  by  a  streamlet. 
It  depends  entirely  on  the  rains;  and  these  sink  into  the 
sandy  surface,  until,  being  arrested  at  the  depth  of  eight  or 
ten  feet,  they  form  that  "  sea  under  ground  "  .which  has 
been  found  to  extend  over  a  great  part  of  the  arid  waste. 

In  consequence  of  this  absence  of  moisture  vegetable  life 
is  scantily  diffused  over  a  great  part  of  the  continent.  In 
the  mountain  districts,  however,  and  on  the  territories  along 
their  borders  the  soil  is  profusely  watered,  and  under  the  in- 
fluence of  a  tropical  sun  produces  that  luxurious  abundance 
and  gigantic  growth  of  vegetable  forms  which  are  a  distin- 
guishing feature  in  the  equatorial  regions. 

The  great  calabash  appears  to  be  the  most  enormous  tree 
on  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  branches  extending  from  the 


A   North  African   Belle 


In  Darkest  Africa  27 

trunk  horizontally  make  it  a  forest  almost  in  itself.  The 
mangrove,  too,  which  rises  on  the  borders  of  rivers  or  inun- 
dated spots,  hangs  its  branches  low  on  the  watery  banks, 
where  they  take  root  and  grow,  and  the  original  plant 
spreading  farther  and  farther  forms  a  natural  arcade  over 
the  stream.  These  mighty  trees  do  not  stand  alone,  but  the 
spaces  betwixt  their  branches  are  affectionately  intertwined 
by  canes,  creeping  and  parasitical  plants,  and  shrubs,  which 
again  entwine  each  other  until  they  form  an  impenetrable 
undergrowth.  To  cut  the  narrowest  path  through  forests  of 
this  vegetable  life  is,  to  say  the  least,  extremely  laborious; 
and  as  shoots  are  continually  protruding  on  each  side,  the 
path,  without  constant  traveling  and  th.e  continual  use  of 
the  ax,  soon  becomes  impassable. 

Commander  Cameron  met  with  great  trees  in  the  forests 
on  the  northern  side  of  the  Bambarra  mountains.  "  No  sun- 
light or  breeze  ever  penetrates  into  these  dark  depths,"  he 
says,  "  for  a  mass  of  monster  trees  with  spreading  heads 
shut  out  the  slightest  glimpse  of  sk\-.  And  what  trees  they 
were  !  Standing  in  a  ravine  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
deep,  these  giants  of  the  s}'lvan  world  were  seen  springing 
from  its  depths;  and,  looking  upward,  their  trunks  were 
lost  among  their  dense  foliage  at  an  equal  height  above  our 
heads." 

As  we  approach  the  desert  these  giants  of  the  forest  dis- 
appear and  vegetation  gradually  assumes  a  more  agreeable 
aspect.  We  may  now  view  whole  forests  of  the  acacia, 
which  gives  forth  the  gum  that  is  an  important  article  of 
African  commerce.  The  classical  lotus,  the  tamarisk,  an.d 
several  other  small  trees  greet  the  eye  and  afford  nourish- 
ment by  their  fruit. 

Various  flowering  plants  of  delicate  hues  are  scattered 
about  in  wild  and  luxuriant  beauty,  and  the  desert,  in  its  first 
approaches  and  before  vegetable  life  commences  to  disap- 
pear, wears  a  pleasing  and  even  a  smiling  face. 

The  nature  of  the  animal  world  in  Africa  changes  as  dis- 
tinctly as  vegetation  as  it  passes  from  one  to  another  of  these 


28 


The  Flaming  Torch 


opposite  regions.  In  those  plains  which  are  inundated  by  the 
great  rivers  it  increases  incredibly,  and  often  assumes  gigantic 
and  repulsive  forms.  Throughout  the  continent  wild  beasts 
exist  in  great  numbers  ;  and  to  this  day  the  natives  have 
often  to  fight  for  very  existence.  The  lion's  roar  and  the 
gorilla's  cries  can  be  heard  everywhere  in  the  forest  by  night. 
The  hyena,  the  most  ferocious  and  untamable  of  beasts,  com- 
mits  the  worst   ravages.     These   creatures   move   about  in 


In  the  Nubian  Forest 

bands  and  invade  the  villages,  and  have  even  sought  their 
prey  within  the  fortified  inclosures.  The  elephants  also 
roam  about  in  herds  through  the  forests,  led  by  the  oldest 
of  their  number.  They  attack  neither  man  nor  beast. 
Man  is  the  aggressor  frequently  in  order  to  obtain  the  ivory 
of  his  tusks.  Instead  of  the  tiger  Africa  has  the  leopard 
and  the  panther,  only,  however,  in  certain  parts.  The 
rhinoceros,  though  not  strictly  amphibious,  is  found  in  the 
marshes  and  swampy  grounds.  The  hippopotamus  also  in- 
fests the  marshes  and  rivers,  and  proves  a  very  formidable 
antagonist  when  annoyed. 


In  Darkest  Africa  29 

Africa  swarms  with  serpents  too,  which  spread  terror ; 
sonic  by  their  deadly  poison,  and  others  by  their  mere  bulk 
and  strength.  African  serpents  are  recorded  in  ancient 
history.  It  has  been  declared  that  whole  provinces 
were  once  overrun  by  them,  and  that  one,  after  disputing 
the  passage  of  a  river  with  a  Roman  army,  was  destroyed 
only  by  a  battering  engine. 

As  we  leave  this  region,  where  the  earth  teems  with  a  su- 
perabundance of  Hfe,  and  approach  the  desert,  we  find  a 
change  takes  place  equally  singular  and  delightful  as  in  the 
vegetable  world.  We  find  only  beautiful  creatures  along  the 
sandy  border.  The  bright-e}'ed  antelope  in  many  different 
species,  preying  upon  neither  man  nor  beast,  but  pursued  by 
all  on  account  of  its  delicate  flesh.  We  also  see  the  striped 
zebra  and  the  camelopard,  remarkable  for  its  fantastic  beauty. 
Nature  has  endowed  Africa  with  a  multitude  of  those  ani- 
mals which  some  aver  resemble  man — the  monkey,  the  go- 
rilla, the  chimpanzee,  and  the  orang-outang.  Since  the  mind 
makes  the  man,  I  cannot  join  in  the  comparison  which  some 
profess  to  make  of  these  animals  with  the  human  race. 

Insects,  which  in  our  milder  climates  are  generally  harm- 
less, are  somewhat  formidable  in  Africa.  The  winged  insects 
in  particular,  through  the  action  of  the  sun  in  swampy  dis- 
tricts, rise  up  in  terrible  force.  The  locust,  for  instance, 
gathers  in  innumerable  swarms  and  commits  ravages  which 
it  is  difficult  in  our  latitude  to  comprehend.  Yet  these 
creatures  may  be  used  as  food,  as  they  often  are  by  many 
native  tribes.  The  mosquito  and  many  similar  insects  do 
not  spread  such  fearful  desolation,  but  their  tormenting 
stings  make  life  miserable.  Even  a  swarm  of  bees  in  the 
roads  of  western  Africa  has  been  known  to  put  a  caravan  to 
flight.  But  the  most  extraordinary  insects  of  all  are  the 
termites,  or  white  ants,  which  exhibit  even  greater  develop- 
ment of  instinct,  if  we  may  so  term  their  wonderful  skill, 
than  they  are  credited  with  in  other  parts  of  the  world. 
Whole  plains  are  covered  with  their  conical  huts,  often 
twelve    feet    high.     They   are  divided   into   ranks,  some   as 


30 


The  Flaming  Torch 


workers,  others  as  soldiers,  regularly  officered  and  organized  ; 
a  king  and  queen  are  appointed  to  govern  over  each  com- 
munity, Wlien  the  queen  becomes  a  mother  it  is  of  thou- 
sands, hence  the  rapid  increase  of  these  creatures  is  a  matter 
of  serious  consideration,  as  they  are  far  from  being  harmless, 
as  the  ants  of  Europe  or  America.  When  the  drivers, 
another  species  of  ant,  enter  a  dwelling  they  devour  every- 

AC  ' '   ; '   _ 


Chimpanzees 

thing  of  vegetable  or  animal  substance,  and  inmates  too,  if 
they  fail  to  depart  immediately.  The  warrior  ants,  or  a 
similar  species  in  South  Africa,  are  used  by  the  vicious 
natives  as  an  instrument  of  torture  when  they  desire  to 
wreak  especial  vengeance.  The  prisoner  is  tied  down  be- 
side a  dwelling  of  these  savage  ants,  A\hich  are  then  thor- 
oughly disturbed  and  left  to  take  their  revenge  upon  the 
poor  helpless  victim,  whom  they  not  only  kill,  but  whose 
very  bones  they  will  pick  quite  clean. 

We    have  barely    touched    upon   the   evils  to   which   the 


In  Darkest  Africa  31 

native  African  is  exposed  from  the  lower  order  of  creation, 
but  the  subject  is  one  of  deep  interest,  and  the  student  of 
nature  who  cares  to  pursue  it  through  some  of  tiie  exhaust- 
ive works  pubhshed  on  the  natural  history  and  entomology 
of  Africa  will  be  well  repaid. 

Notwithstanding  his  foes  in  animal  and  insect  life  the 
native  finds  his  surest  foe  in  man.  For  centuries  this  conti- 
nent has  seen  her  children  dragged  in  chains  over  the  desert 
and  across  the  sea  to  spend  their  lives  in  hopeless  bondage. 
And  again  superstition  and  tyranny  are  the  underlying 
causes  of  innumerable  petty  wars  among  themselves,  of  a 
bloody  and  cruel  character,  and  a  source  of  domestic  and 
foreign  slavery. 

Yet  amid  all  tlic  shadows  which  we  have  faintly  portrayed 
there  are  many  beautiful  bright  lights,  shining  all  the  brighter 
from  the  somber  hue  of  the  background.  Even  amid  the 
moral  darkness  there  shine  forth  virtues  which  would  do 
honor  to  society  in  its  most  refined  and  exalted  state.  Domes- 
tic affection  generally  pervades  African  society,  and  generous 
hospitality  is  often  shown  to  travelers.  The  varieties  of 
nature  and  character,  the  alternations  of  nature's  wildncss 
and  beauty,  of  lawless  violence  and  of  the  most  generous 
kindness,  render  traveling  in  this  continent  more  interest- 
ing than  in  any  other  quarter  of  the  globe. 


African  Elephant 


32 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER    II 

Ancient  Africa 

FRICA,  so  far  as  it  extends  along  the  Medi- 
terranean, was  not  only  well  known  to  the 
nations  of  antiquity,  but  constituted  an 
integral  part  of  their  political  and  social 
M)  '  Wm  system.    This  coast  forms  only  a  compara- 

iyJ^MMT^^\  t'^'^b'  small  portion  of  that  great  conti- 
#  f^8^'>  %  nent ;  but  while  the  sphere  of  civilization 
y^  W\i  A.  and  geographical  knowledge  of  the  Greeks 
were  nearly  comprised  within  the  circuits 
of  the  Mediterranean  shores,  they  viewed 
northern  Africa  with  considerable  inter- 
est. This  region,  which  is  now^  in  obscurity  and  left  far 
behind  in  all  the  arts  and  attainments  which  exalt  human 
nature,  had  at  that  early  period  takeii  the  lead. 

Herodotus,  the  earliest  and  most  interesting  of  Greek 
historians,  when  endeavoring  to  collect  information  about 
the  whole  of  the  unknown  world,  was  obliged,  in  the  absence 
of  written  records,  to  have  recourse  to  travel,  and  his 
narrative  is  almost  entirely  the  record  of  what  he  saw^  and 
heard  during  his  various  journeyings.  By  means  of  a  long 
stay  in  Egypt,  and  intimate  communication  with  the  na- 
tive priests,  he  learned  much  that  was  accurate,  as  well  as 
much  that  was  incorrect  and  exaggerated,  respecting  the 
wide  region  which  extends  from  the  Nile  to  the  Atlantic. 
He  justly  describes  it  as  much  inferior  in  fertility  to  the 
cultivated  parts  of  Europe  and  Asia,  and  suffering  severely 
from  drought ;  yet  there  were  a  ^cw  spots,  as  Cinyps  and 
the  high  tracts  of  Cyrene,  which  being  finely  irrigated  might 
stand  a  comparison  Avith  the  richest  portions  of  the  globe. 
Generally,  however,  in  quitting  the  northern  coast,  which 
he  terms  the  "  forehead  of  Africa,"  the  country  became  more 


In  Darkest  Africa  33 

and  more  arid.  "  Hills  of  salt  arose,"  he  declares,  "out  of 
^\•hich  the  natives  constructed  tlieir  houses,  without  any  fear 
of  their  melting  beneath  a  shower  in  a  region  where  rain 
\\as  unknown."  The  land  became  almost  a  desert  and  was 
filled  with  such  multitudes  of  wild  beasts  as  to  be  con- 
sidered their  proper  inheritance,  and  scarcely  disputed  with 
them  by  the  human  race.  Farther  to  the  south  the  soil  no 
longer  afforded  food  even  to  these  wild  tenants  ;  there  was 
not  the  trunk  of  a  tree  nor  a  drop  of  water;  total  silence 
and  desolation  reigned.  Such  is  the  general  picture  which 
Herodotus  draws  of  this  northern  boundary  of  the  great 
iXfrican  tlesert,  which  must  be  acknowledged  to  be  fairly 
accurate. 

In  the  tract  westward  from  Eg\'pt,  behind  the  great  "Af- 
rican forehead,"  the  first  object  was  the  celebrated  shrine  of 
Ammon,  dedicated  to  the  Theban  Jove,  and  to  which  the 
Greeks  ascribed  a  higher  prophetic  power  than  even  to  their 
own  Delphic  Oracle.  This  temple,  situated  in  the  midst  of 
almost  inaccessible  deserts,  was  distinguished  iov  a  fountain 
which,  warm  at  midnight,  became  always  colder  and  colder 
till  noon.  Ten  days'  journey  beyond  Ammon  hi}'  /Egila, 
occupied  by  the  Nasamones,  a  numerous  people,  ■who  in 
winter  fed  their  flocks  on  the  seacoast,  and  in  summer  re- 
paired to  collect  and  store  up  the  dates  here  growing  on 
extensive  forests  of  palm  trees.  To  this  people  are  as- 
cribed various  singular  customs,  among  which  was  their 
mode  of  foreseeing  the  future  by  laying  themselves  to 
sleep  on  the  tombs  of  their  ancestors,  watching  the  dreams 
which  arose  in  this  position,  and  treasuring  them  up  in 
oracles.  .-v 

After  the  Gindanes  and  the  Lotophagi,  who  ate  the  lotus 
and  made  wine  from  its  fruit,  came  the  Machlyes  and  the 
Auses,  dwelling  round  the  lake  of  Tritonis,  the  scene  of  the 
reported  birth  and  oracle  of  Minerva,  with  which  were  con- 
nected many  celebrated  fables  of  ancient  mythology. 

Strabo,  who  wrote  after  the  Roman  sway  was  fully  estab- 
lished over  Africa,  gives  a  much   more   exact  report  of  its 


34  The  Flaming  Torch 

western  regions.  Extending  his  view  beyond  the  Atlas 
Mountains,  he  describes  the  Mauri,  peopling  a  rich  territory 
on  the  Atlantic  coast  capable  of  yielding  the  most  copious 
harvest.  Nothing,  however,  could  wean  the  nation  from  the 
wandering  life  in  which  they  delighted,  moving  continually 
with  their  tents  from  place  to  place,  wrapped  in  the  skins  of 
wild  beasts,  riding  without  saddle,  and  often  without  bridle, 
on  small,  swift  horses.  He  represented  them  as  fighting 
with  sword  and  spear,  not  with  the  poisoned  arrows  im- 
puted to  them  by  Horace,  which  are  used  at  present  in 
central  Africa,  Eastward,  around  Carthage,  he  finds  the 
Massaesuli,  who  followed  the  same  wandering  life,  and  were 
called  Nomads  or  Numidians  ;  but  Masinissa  had  already 
inured  them  to  the  practice  of  agriculture  and  to  some  of 
the  refinements  of  polished  life.  Carthage  at  its  first  sub- 
jection was  razed  to  the  ground  and  left  long  desolate  ;  but 
the  Romans,  attracted  by  the  view  of  the  fine  region  which 
surrounds  it,  soon  established  a  colony  there  and  elevated 
it  to  its  former  rank  as  the  greatest  city  of  Africa. 

Another  territory  of  which  the  ancients  had  considerable 
knowledge  was  that  extending  upward  along  the  Nile,  the 
immediate  borders  of  which  have  always  been  both  habit- 
able and  fertile. 

The  philosophers  of  Memphis,  followed  even  by  Mela, 
the  great  Latin  geographer,  surmised  that  the  unknown 
and  inaccessible  fountains  of  the  Nile  lay  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  globe,  where  during  our  summer  it  was  winter; 
consequently  the  greatest  rains  then  fell  and  the  swollen 
waters,  flowing  across  the  whole  breadth  of  the  torrid  zone, 
acquired  a  soft  and  mellow  taste.  But  the  most  singular 
hypothesis  is  that  of  Ephorus,  who  thought  that  Eg)-pt 
was  full  of  gaps  or  chinks,  which  in  winter  absorbed  the 
water,  but  sweat  it  out  under  the  influence  of  the  summer 
heat.  Diodorus  takes  superfluous  pains  to  show  that  this 
theory,  so  absurd  in  itself,  had  no  correspondence  with  the 
facts  of  the  case.  The  real  cause,  arising  from  the  rains 
which  fall  on  the  high  mountains  in  the  interior  and  tropical 


Negro  Type  of  North  Africa 

(Collection  of  Prince  Roland  Bonaparte) 


In  Darkest  Africa  37 

regions,  was  mentioned  and  strongly  supported  by  Agathar- 
chides,  who  wrote  a  learned  work  on  the  Red  Sea. 

The  name  of  Ethiopia  was  generally  applied  by  the  ancients 
to  the  south  of  Africa,  and  even  Arabia,  and  to  all  countries 
inhabited  by  black  people.  The  region,  however,  which  ex- 
tends tor  several  hundred  miles  along  the  Nile  above  Egypt 
formed  the  ancient  Ethiopia,  a  sacred  realm  in  which  the 
priests  placed  the  most  revered  objects  of  their  mythology. 

The  Greeks,  who  had  settled  in  Eg\-[)t  during  the  wise 
government  of  the  Ptolemies,  carried  on  a  considerable 
navigation  along  the  eastern  coast  of  the  Red  Sea.  Ptolemy 
Euergetes  seems  to  have  conquered  part  of  Abyssinia, 
forming  it  into  a  kingdom  of  which  Axum  was  the  capital  ; 
and  the  fine  remains  of  Grecian  architecture  still  attest  the 
fact  of  this  city  having  been  a  great  and  civilized  metropolis. 

The  whole  of  Africa  known  to  the  Greeks  at  that  time 
comprised  a  wide  extent  of  shore,  but  extended  a  very 
short  distance  inland,  being  bounded  on  each  side  by  two 
unknown  coasts,  which  stretched  so  far  that  it  was  not  pos- 
sible to  conjecture  their  termination.  Two  tempestuous 
oceans,  a  desert,  the  most  dreary  on  the  face  of  the  earth  and 
infested  by  multitudes  of  huge  and  ferocious  animals,  were 
the  barriers  that  so  closely  hemmed  in  ancient  settlers,  and 
could  not,  in  any  instance,  be  passed  with  impunity.  Yet 
the  principle  of  curiosity  cannot  be  extinguished  in  the  human 
breast,  and  with  courageous  natures  obstacles  often  create  a 
greater  desire  to  master  a  difficulty. 

The  two  earliest  expeditions  known  are  related  b\^  Herod- 
otus. One  of  the  greatest  of  the  native  kings  of  Egj-pt  was 
Necho,  whose  name  ranks  second  only  to  that  of  Sesostris, 
who  lived  about  two  hundred  \-ears  before  Herodotus.  The 
habits  and  prejudices  of  the  ancient  Eg}'ptians  were  unfavor- 
able to  maritime  enterprise  ;  yet  Necho,  endowed  with  the 
spirit  of  a  great  man,  which  made  him  superior  to  the  age  in 
which  he  lived,  eagerly  sought  the  solution  of  the  mystery 
of  Africa's  outlines.  He  employed  Phoenician  navigators,  of 
whose  proceedings  Herodotus  received  an  account  from  the 


38  The  Flaming  Torch 

Egyptian  priests.  Proceeding  down  the  Red  Sea,  they 
entered  the  Indian  Ocean  ;  and  in  a  voyage  of  three  years 
made  the  complete  circuit  of  the  continent,  passing  through 
the  Pillars  of  Hercules  (Straits  of  Gibraltar),  and  up  the  Med- 
iterranean to  Egypt.  They  related  tliat  in  the  course  of  this 
very  long  voyage  they  had  repeatedly  drawn  their  boats  on 
land,  sowed  grain  in  a  favorable  place  and  season,  waited  till 
the  crop  grew  and  ripened  under  the  influence  of  a  tropical 
heat,  then  reaped  it,  and  continued  their  progress. 

The  other  expedition  had  its  origin  in  the  country  of  the 
Nasamones.  Five  young  men  formed  themselves  into  an 
African  association,  personally  to  explore  what  was  still  un- 
known in  the  vast  interior  of  this  continent.  They  passed, 
first,  the  region  inhabited  by  man  ;  then  that  which  was 
tenanted  by  wild  beasts  ;  lastly,  they  reached  the  great  sandy 
waste.  Having  laid  in  a  good  stock  of  water  and  provisions, 
they  traveled  many  days,  partly  in  a  western  direction,  and 
at  length  reached  one  of  the  oases,  or  verdant  islands,  which 
fortunately  are  widely  scattered  over  the  desert.  Here  they 
sau^  trees  laden  with  delicious  fruit,  some  of  which  they  had 
begun  to  pluck,  when  there  suddenly  appeared  a  band  of 
"  little  black  men,"  who  seized  and  carried  them  off  as  cap- 
tives. 

The  next  expedition  on  record  was  made  under  less  pleas- 
ing auspices.  Sataspes,  a  Persian  nobleman,  had  been 
condemned  by  Xerxes  to  crucifixion,  on  account  of  some 
/  crime  of  which  he  had  been  guilty  ;  but  his  mother  by  ear- 
nest entreaty  obtained  a  commutation  of  the  sentence  into 
one  w^iich  she  represented  as  still  more  severe — that  of  sail- 
ing round  Africa.  Under  this  heavy  necessity,  Sataspes 
coasted  along  the  Mediterranean,  passed  the  western  point 
of  the  continent,  and  began  a  southward  course.  But  he  who 
undertook  to  explore  this  vast  country  with  no  interest  in 
the  subject,  buoyed  up  by  no  gay  enthusiasm,  and  urged  only 
by  the  fear  of  death  behind,  was  ill  prepared  for  achieving 
so  mighty  an  enterprise.  Sataspes  sailed  southward  for  a 
considerable   space,  but   when    he   saw   the  Atlantic  waves 


In  Darkest  Africa 


39 


beating  against  the  dreary  shore  of  the  Saliara,  that  scene  of 
frequent  shipwreck,  it  probably  appeared  to  him  that  any 
ordinary  form  of  death  was  preferable  to  this.  He  returned 
and  presented  himself  before  Xerxes,  giving  a  doleful  de- 
scription of  the  hardships  which  he  had  encountered,  declar- 
ing that  the  ship  at  last  stood  still  of  itself  and  could  by  no 
exertion  be  made  to  proceed.     That  proud  monarch,  refusing 


•^i*£it^" 


Mauri  in  Forest  of  Bananas 


to  listen  to  such  an   explanation,  ordered  the  original  sen- 
tence to  be  immediately  executed. 

Carthage,  the  greatest  maritime  and  commercial  state  of 
antiquity,  and  which  considered  Africa  and  the  Atlantic 
coast  as  her  peculiar  domain,  must  have  made  several  ex- 
ploratory voyages  before  she  could  establish  those  extensive 
connections  upon  which  her  trade  was  founded.  Of  all  such 
attempts,  however,  the  record  of  only  one  remains.  It  con- 
sisted of  an  expedition  on  a  large  scale,  sent  out  about  five 
hundred  and  sevent}^  years  before  the  Christian  era,  for  the 


40  The  Flaming  Torch 

joint  purpose  of  colonization  and  discovery,  under  an  admiral 
named  Hanno.  He  carried  with  him,  in  sixty  large  vessels, 
emigrants  of  both  sexes  to  the  number  of  thirty  thousand. 
At  the  distance  of  two  days'  sail  beyond  the  Pillars  of  Her- 
cules the  Carthaginians  founded  the  city  of  Thymioterium, 
and  afterward,  on  the  wooded  promontory  of  Solocis,  erected 
a  stately  temple  to  Neptune.  They  then  built  successively 
four  other  cities,  after  which  they  came  to  the  great  river 
Lixus,  flowing  from  Libya  and  the  high  boundar\-  of  the 
Atlas.  Its  banks  were  infested  by  numbers  of  wild  beasts, 
and  inhabited  only  by  savage  Ethiopians,  living  in  caves,  and 
repelling  every  friendly  overture.  Proceeding  for  three  da}'s 
along  a  desert  coast,  the  navigators  reached  an  island,  which 
they  named  Cerne,  situated  in  a  recess  of  the  sea,  where  they 
established  their  last  colony.  Sailing  onward  still  for  a  num- 
ber of  days,  they  saw  a  large  river  full  of  crocodiles  and  hip- 
popotami, and  containing  a  number  of  small  islands.  The 
inhabitants  were  timid  and  fled  at  their  approach,  but  the 
coast  presented  some  remarkable  phenomena.  During  the 
day  deep  silence  reigned  ;  but  as  soon  as  the  sun  set  fires 
blazed  on  the  shore,  and  the  shouts  of  men  were  mingled 
with  the  varied  sounds  of  cymbals,  trumpets,  and  other 
musical  instruments.  This  scene,  being  new  to  the  Cartha- 
ginians, struck  them  with  terror,  but  in  fact  it  must  have 
arisen  from  the  custom  prevalent  over  native  Africa,  where 
the  inhabitants  often  rest  during  the  oppressive  heat  of  the 
day,  and  spend  a  great  part  of  the  night  in  dancing  and 
festivity. 

The  individual  who  in  that  early  age  made  the  most  reso- 
lute and  persevering  effort  to  explore  Africa  was  Eudoxus, 
a  native  of  the  city  of  Cyzicus,  who  lived  about  one  hundred 
and  thirty  years  before  Christ,  but  I  am  unable  to  trace  the 
final  result  of  his  expeditions. 

The  ruins  of  ancient  cities,  forts,  mines,  and  hieroglyphics, 
and  the  testimony  of  the  earliest  travelers,  seem  to  demon- 
strate that  in  different  parts  of  the  Dark  Continent  there  were 
in  ancient  times  large  centers  of  civilized  people,  who,  over- 


In  Darkest  Africa 


41 


whelmed  by  the  surroundin;;  barbarous  nations,  or  }'ieiding  to 
the  inevitable  tendencies  of  human  nature,  lapsed  into  decay. 
It  is  now,  for  example,  generally  allowed  that  the  land  of 
Ophir,  where  the  ships  of  Solomon  and  his  friend,  Hiram  of 
Tj'rc,  went  once  in  three  years  to  bring  back  gold  and  pre- 
cious stones  and  other  merchandise,  was  in  the  vicinity  of 
Zambesia,  far  down  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Africa,  and  not  in 
Arabia,  and  the  recent  opening  of  the  gold-producing  coun- 
tries south  of  the  Zambesi,  and  the  evidences  of  ancient  mines 
found  there,  have  served  to  confirm  this  opinion. 

I  have  found  one  thing  to  the  credit  of  Nero,  the  Roman 
tyrant.  Sixty  years  after  Christ  he  sent  an  expedition  to 
explore  the  source  of  the  Nile,  and  this  is  the  first  attempt 
we  have  on  record  of  an  enterprise  which,  eighteen  hundred 
years  later,  our  own  Stanley  completed. 


t:"^^ 


._j 


42 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  III 

The  Invasions  of  Islam 

V  far  the  most  momentous  epoch  in  the 
history  of  the  Dark  Continent,  after 
the  Roman  conquest  and  the  division 
of  the  empire,  was  the  invasion  of  Mo- 
hammedanism. For  hundreds  of  years 
after  the  Roman  conquest  and  the  di- 
vision of  the  empire  there  had  been 
continued  fighting  along  the  Mediter- 
ranean, seriously  retarding  exploration 
and  colonization.  But  one  episode  is 
especially  worthy  of  mention.  Four  hundred  and  eighty 
years  after  Christ  eighty  thousand  Vandals  (men,  women, 
and  children)  crossed  from  Spain  to  North  Africa.  For  a 
hundred  years  these  Teuton  people  held  their  own,  but 
finally  disappeared  from  history  and  blended  with  other 
peoples.  The  time  had  not  come  for  people  of  our  blood  to 
have  a  hand  in  the  division  of  the  Dark  Continent. 

The  aggressive  Arabs  began  their  work  of  conquest  six 
hundred  and  forty  years  after  Christ,  and  in  seventy  years 
Europe  was  swept  out  of  the  Dark  Continent  and  all  North 
Africa  was  practically  Mohammedanized.  Wave  after  wave 
of  Arab  emigrants  poured  in.  Cities  were  built,  and  great 
progress  made  in  agriculture,  commerce,  and  art.  For 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  years  this  process  went  on,  so  that 
at  the  close  of  the  fourteenth  century  Mohammedanism 
had  crossed  the  Sahara,  had  a  good  footing  in  Soudan,  in 
the  Niger  region,  as  well  as  in  Abyssinia  and  down  the 
East  Coast  to  Sofala,  where  the  Portuguese  in  the  six- 
teenth century  found  rich  Arab  cities.  Caravan  routes, 
with  the  use  of  camels,  were  established  across  the  desert. 
Regular    reports    and    annual    pilgrimages   to    Mecca    from 


In  Darkest  Africa  43 

different  parts  promoted  knowledge  of  countries  and  peo- 
ple. Learning  was  advanced.  At  present  the  ^loham- 
medan  University  at  Cairo  is  one  of  the  world's  great  seats 
of  learning.  When  one  of  the  teachers  was  lately  asked  by 
a  traveler  what  was  taught  there,  the  reply  was,  "We  teach 
God." 

The  triumph  of  the  followers  of  Mohammed,  who  in  fifty 
years  spread  their  arms  and  their  creed  over  half  the  eastern 
world,  produced  an  immense  change  in  the  social  sN'stem  of 
even  the  remote  Mauritania,  which  seemed  doomed  to  be 
the  inheritance  of  a  barbarous  and  nomadic  race,  but  was 
converted  by  them  into  a  civilized  empire  ;  and  its  capital, 
Fez,  became  a  distinguished  school  of  learning.  Their  love 
of  improvement  reached  even  the  most  distant  regions. 
They  introduced  the  camel,  which,  though  a  native  of  the 
sandy  wastes  of  Arabia,  was  equally  adapted  to  the  still 
more  immense  and  awful  deserts  that  stretch  over  Africa. 
Paths  were  opened  through  wilds  which  had  hitherto  defied 
all  human  efforts  to  penetrate.  An  intercourse  by  means 
of  caravans  was  formed  with  the  interior  countries  to  obtain 
a  supply  of  gold  and  slaves;  and,  amid  the  sanguinary  dis- 
putes which  arose  among  the  descendants  of  the  prophet, 
many,  whose  ill  fortune  exposed  them  to  the  enmity  of  suc- 
cessful rivals,  sought  refuge  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
Great  Desert.  By  successive  migrations  they  not  only  be- 
came numerous  in  central  Africa,  but,  from  superior  skill  in 
the  art  of  war,  rose  to  be  the  ruling  power.  They  founded 
several  flourishing  kingdoms  in  that  part  of  the  continent 
which  Europeans  vainly  sought  to  reach  till  they  were 
recently  explored.  Of  these  states  Ghana  was  the  most 
flourishing,  forming  the  great  market  for  gold.  Its  sovereign 
was  acknowledged  supreme  by  all  the  neighboring  princes  ; 
while  his  court  displayed  a  splendor  and  was  adorned  with 
objects  hitherto  unexampled  in  central  Africa.  Among  its 
ornaments  were  paintings,  sculpture,  and  glass  windows, 
which  being  before  unknown  excited  the  surprise  and  admi- 
ration of  the  natives.     The  king  is  said   to  have  ridden  out 


44 


The  Flaming  Torch 


attended    by   elephants   and   camelopards,  tamed    by  an  art 
then  first  introduced,  and  since  lost. 

This  prince  made  a  great  profession  of  justice,  going  out 
twice  every  day  and  presenting  himself  to  all  who  wished 
to  offer  petition  or  complaint.  The  vicissitudes  of  fortune 
subverted  the  kingdom  of  Ghana,  and  made  its  territory 
successively  subject  to  Timbuctoo,  Kashna,  and  Sackatoo; 
but  later  travelers  found  it  under  the  changed  name  of  Kano. 


The  City  of  Tangier 

Tocrur,  about  twenty-four  days'  journey  northwest  of 
Ghana,  was  a  kingdom  inferior  to  the  other,  yet  powerful 
and  independent.  It  carried  on  an  extensive  traffic  with 
the  people  of  the  "remotest  west,"  who  brought  shells 
(cowries?)  and  brass,  for  which  they  received  gold  and 
ornaments.  Mention  is  made  of  the  fine  cotton  cloths 
which  formed  the  staple  manufacture.  Tocrur  appears 
evidently  to  be  Sackatoo  or  Soccatoo,  since  the  capital  of 
an  empire  which  comprises  Ghana  and  all  the  neighboring 
countries. 


In  Darkest  Africa  45 

Kuku,  to  the  eastward  of  Gliana,  forms  another  kingdom 
on  whose  power  and  extent  tlie  Arabian  writers  kirgely 
dilate.  This  country  is  manifestly  Bornou,  named  from  its 
capital,  which  bears  still  the  same  appellation.  Twenty 
days'  journey  to  the  south  was  Kaugha,  a  city  famous  for 
industry  and  useful  arts,  and  women  who  were  skilled  in  the 
secrets  of  magic. 

To  the  south  of  Ghana  la}-  W'angara,  a  district  that  is  said 
to  have  contained  gold,  the  commodity  for  which  African 
commerce  was  so  much  prized.  This  region  is  described  as 
intersected  and  overflowed  during  the  rainy  season  by  the 
branches  of  the  Nile.  There  seems  to  be  some  confusion  of 
ideas  about  this  country  and  its  golden  products.  A  district 
in  the  southern  part  of  Soudan  is  called  Oongoroo,  or 
Ungura;  but  it  no  longer  furnishes  gold,  nor  is  Ghana  at 
the  present  day  the  market  for  that  valuable  staple  of  cen- 
tral Africa.  In  the  mountainous  countries  to  the  southwest 
this  metal  is  still  collected  abundantly,  in  the  very  manner 
described  by  the  Arabian  writers. 

The  whole  range  of  Alpine  territory  to  the  southwest  of 
the  region  now  described  was  called  Lamiam,  and  presented 
a  continued  scene  of  barbarous  violence.  It  was  branded  as 
the  land  of  the  infidels — of  a  people  to  whom  none  of  the 
charities  of  life  were  due,  and  against  whom  the  passions  of 
cruelty  and  of  avarice  might  be  gratified  without  remorse. 
Elxpeditions  or  slave  hunts  were  therefore  made  into  these 
unfortunate  countries,  when,  after  a  bloody  conflict,  victims 
were  seized,  carried  off,  and  sold  to  the  merchants  of  north- 
ern Africa,  who  conveyed  them  to  all  parts  of  the  eastern 
world.  The  same  cruel  and  iniquitous  traffic  is  carried  on 
in  a  sim.ilar  manner,  and  \\ith  unabated  activit)',  at  the  pres- 
ent day. 

The  Arabians  do  not  seem  to  have  been  very  accurately 
informed.  They  describe  the  Atlantic  as  only  about  five 
hundred  miles  beyond  Tocrur,  although  two  thousand 
would  have  been  nearer  the  truth;  perhaps  they  mistook 
the  great  kike  Dibbie  for  the  sea.     They  mention  the  island 


46  The  Flaming  Torch 

of  Ulil,  whence  were  brought  great  quantities  of  salt.  Ulil, 
though  called  an  island,  was  probably  Walet,  the  great  in- 
terior market  for  the  mineral ;  but  all  the  features  of  the 
country  around  and  beyond  it  seem  to  have  been  confusedly 
blended  together  by  the  Mohammedan  authors. 

At  the  time  when  the  Arabian  geographers  flourished 
the  Christian  religion  was  professed  not  only  in  Abyssinia, 
but  even  in  Nubia,  to  its  northern  frontier  at  Syene.  The 
bigotry  and  dislike  produced  by  hostile  creeds  not  only 
deprived  these  writers  of  the  means  of  information,  but  led 
them  to  view  with  contempt  everything  relating  to  countries 
accounted  infidel.  Their  notices,  therefore,  of  the  regions 
in  the  Upper  Nile  and  along  the  western  shores  of  the  Red 
Sea  are  exceeding  meager.  It  was  otherwise  with  the 
eastern  coast  of  Africa  on  the  Indian  Ocean.  The  people 
of  southern  Arabia,  who  were  then  actively  employed  in 
commerce  and  navigation,  had  not  only  explored,  but  formed 
establishments  at  Mombasa,  Melinda,  Mozambique,  and  all 
the  leading  points  on  that  coast,  which  were  still  found  in 
their  possession  by  the  early  Portuguese  navigators. 

Ibn  Batuta  commenced  his  peregrination  through  interior 
Africa  from  Fez.  He  went  first  to  Segilmissa,  situated  in  a 
territory  abounding  with  date  trees.  Having  joined  a  cara- 
van, he  came,  after  a  journey  of  twenty-five  days,  to  Thar- 
gari,  which  some  manuscripts  make  Tagaza,  and  is  therefore 
evidently  the  Tegazza  of  Leo,  supposed  by  Major  Rennel 
to  be  the  modern  Tishect,  containing  the  mine  which 
supplied  Timbuctoo  with  salt.  From  Thargari  he  went  in 
twenty  days  to  Tashila,  three  da}'s  be)'ond  which  com- 
menced a  "desert  of  the  most  dreary  aspect,"  where  there 
was  neither  water,  beast,  nor  bird,  "  nothing  but  sand  and 
hills  of  sand."  In  ten  days  he  came  to  Abu  Latin,  a  large 
town,  crowded  with  merchants  from  various  quarters  of  the 
continent. 

From  Abu  Latin,  or  Walet,  the  adventurer  proceeded  to 
Mali,  then  the  most  flourishing  country  and  city  in  that  part 
of  the  continent.     This  Mali  is  evidently  the  Melli  of  Leo, 


o 


In  Darkest  Africa  49 

who  described  it  as  situated  on  a  riv^cr  to  the  south  of  Tim- 
buctoo,  but  it  is  not  easy  to  identify  it  with  any  modern 
position.  After  waiting  upon  the  king  he  was  informed 
that  a  present  was  on  its  way  to  him,  and  he  feasted  his 
imagination  on  the  idea  of  some  rich  dress  or  golden  orna- 
ment; instead  of  which  the  whole  consisted  of  a  crust  of 
bread,  a  dried  fish,  and  sour  milk.  The  traveler  was 
astonished  by  the  immense  bulk  of  the  trees  of  this  region, 
in  the  hollow  trunk  of  one  of  which  he  observed  a  weaver 
pl)'ing  his  trade. 

From  Mali  our  traveler  turned  northward  to  Timbuctoo. 
This  city  was  then  subject  to  Mali,  governed  by  a  Negro 
viceroy,  and  far  from  possessing  the  celebrity  and  impor- 
tance which  it  has  since  attained.  Tlie  town  is  described  as 
being  chiefly  peopled  by  merchants  from  Latham,  but  what 
particular  country  that  was  it  appears  now  impossible  to 
conjecture.  He  next  proceeded  eastward,  by  Kakaw,  Bar- 
dama,  and  Nakda,  where  he  seems  to  have  been  near 
Nubia,  but  gives  no  further  details  until  he  again  arrives 
at  Fez. 

About  two  centuries  after  Ibn  Batuta  a  very  full  descrip- 
tion of  Africa  was  furnished  by  a  geographer  named  Leo, 
who  was  honored  by  the  surname  of  Africanus.  He  was  a 
native  of  Granada,  but  after  the  capture  of  that  city  by 
Ferdinand  repaired  to  Fez,  and  in  that  once  eminent 
school  acquired  a  knowledge  of  Arabic  and  of  the  African 
continent.  He  afterward  traveled  through  a  great  part  of 
the  interior,  and  having  repaired  to  Rome  wrote  his  descrip- 
tion of  Africa  under  the  auspices  of  Leo  X.  It  appears  that 
since  the  time  of  Edrisi  one  of  those  revolutions  to  which 
barbarous  states  are  liable  had  greatly  changed  the  aspect 
of  these  countries.  Timbuctoo,  which  at  the  former  period 
either  did  not  exist,  or  was  not  thought  worthy  of  mention, 
had  now  risen  to  be  the  most  powerful  of  the  interior  king- 
doms, and  the  great  center  of  commerce  and  wealth. 
Ghana,  once  possessed  of  imperial  greatness,  had  already 
changed  its  name  to  Kano,  and  was  ranked  as  tributary  to 
4 


50  The  Flaming  Torch 

Timbuctoo.  Bornou  appeared  under  its  old  appellation  ; 
and  several  kingdoms  which  have  since  held  a  conspicuous 
place  are  mentioned  for  the  first  time — Casena  or  Cassina 
(Kashna),  Zegzeg,  Zanfara,  and  Guber,  Gago,  represented 
as  being  four  hundred  miles  southeast  of  Timbuctoo,  is  evi- 
dently Eyeo.  Ghinea  or  Gheneoa,  described  as  a  city  of 
great  commerce  and  splendor,  has  been  supposed  to  be 
Ghana;  but  I  think  it  is  evidently  Jenne,  which  Park 
found  to  be  the  largest  and  most  flourishing  city  of  Ban- 
barra.  At  Timbuctoo  many  of  the  merchants  were  opulent, 
and  two  of  them  had  obtained  princesses  in  marriage. 
Literature  was  cultivated  with  ardor,  and  manuscripts  bore 
a  higher  price  than  any  other  commodity.  Izchia,  the 
king  who  had  been  successful  in  subduing  all  the  neighbor- 
ing countries,  maintained  an  army  of  three  thousand  horse 
and  a  numerous  infantry,  partly  armed  with  poisoned 
arrows.  Gold,  for  which  Timbuctoo  had  now  become  the 
chief  mart,  was  lavishly  employed  in  the  ornament  of  his 
court  and  person.  He  displayed  solid  masses,  and  some  of 
his  ornaments  weighed  one  thousand  three  hundred  ounces. 
The  royal  palace  and  several  mosques  were  handsomely 
built  of  stone  ;  but  the  ordinary  habitations  here,  as  in  all 
central  Africa,  were  merely  bell-shaped  huts,  the  material 
of  which  were  stakes,  clay,  and  reeds. 

It  was  from  Asia  and  the  Mohammedan,  and  not  from 
Europe,  that  we  have  the  first  serious  division  of  Africa, 
and  similarity  of  climate  may  have  had  much  to  do  with 
bringing  this  about.  Islamism  brought  with  it  political 
organization,  some  civilization,  commercial  activity,  and  the 
establishment  of  slavery  as  an  institution. 


Type  of  the  Northwest 

[.Collection  of  Prince  Holanii  Bonaparte) 


Zbc  IRoinancc  of  lEyplovation 


CHAPTER    IV 

The  Portugfuese  and  Dutch 

|i|  __^^^   0  OR  ten  centuries,  during  tlie  decline  of  the 

Roman  empire,  the  irruption  of  the 
barbarous  nations,  and  the  operation  of 
the  rude  systems  of  feudal  polity,  Eu- 
rope remained  sunk  in  profound  apathy 
respecting  all  objects  relating  to  science, 
discovery,  and  distant  commerce.  The 
splendor  of  the  Crescent  for  a  short 
interval  outshone  all  that  was  brightest 
in  the  Christian  world  ;  and  the  courts 
of  Bagdad,  of  Fez,  and  of  Cordova  were 
more  refined  and  more  enlightened  than 
those  of  London  and  Paris. 

Satisfied  with  the  wealth  and  power  to  which  they  h.ad 
been  raised  by  local  and  limited  commerce,  the  various  Eu- 
ropean republics  made  no  attempt  to  open  a  more  extended 
path  over  the  ocean.  Their  pilots  guided  most  of  the  ves- 
sels which  were  engaged  in  the  early  voyages  of  discovery, 
but  the  means  were  furnished  by  the  monarchs  who  em- 
ployed them,  whose  ports  were  situated  upon  the  shores  of 
the  Atlantic. 

About  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century,  however,  the 
human  mind  began  to  make  a  movement  in  every  direction 
— in  religion,  science,  freedom,  and  industry.  It  sought  not 
only  to  break  loose  from  that  thraldom  in  which  it  had  been 
bound  for  ages,  but  to  rival  and  even  surpass  all  that  had 
been    achieved    during  the   most   brilliant   eras  of  antiquit}'. 


54  The  Flaming  Torch 

These  high  aims  were  particularly  directed  to  the  depart- 
ment of  maritime  discovery.  The  invention  of  the  compass, 
the  skill  of  the  Venetian  and  the  Genoese  pilots,  and  the 
knowledge  transmitted  from  former  times  inspired  mankind 
witli  tlic  hope  of  being  able  to  pass  all  the  ancient  barriers 
and  to  throw  light  upon  regions  hitherto  unknown.  A  small 
power,  long  sunk  in  apathy  and  political  degradation,  started 
first  in  this  career,  and  took  the  lead  for  a  certain  time  of  all 
the  European  states.  Portugal,  during  the  reign  of  its 
kings  John  and  Emmanuel,  stood  preeminent  in  enterprise 
and  intelligence.  No  idea,  however,  was  }'et  entertained  of 
the  new  worlds  which  were  afterward  discovered  by  the 
daring  spirit  of  Columbus.  The  local  position  of  Portugal, 
its  wars  and  expeditions  against  Morocco,  led  to  the  idea 
that  the  western  border  of  Africa  was  the  best  field  for  dis- 
covery. The  information  respecting  this  coast  was  still  very 
limited,  so  that  the  passage  of  Cape  Bojador  by  Gih'anez,  in 
1433,  caused  a  surprise  and  admiration  almost  equal  to  that 
occasioned  by  the  discovery  of  America.  A  rapid  progress 
was  afterward  made  along  the  shore  of  the  Sahara,  and  the 
Portuguese  navigators  were  not  long  in  reaching  the  fertile 
regions  watered  by  the  Senegal  and  the  Gambia. 

The  mariners  saA\^  however,  only  naked  rocks  and  burning 
sands  stretching  immeasurably  into  the  interior,  and  afford- 
ing no  encouragement  to  any  project  of  settlement.  Beyond 
Cape  Blanco,  Nuno  Tristan,  in  1443,  discovered  the  island 
of  Arguin,  and,  notwithstanding  the  disaster  of  Gonzalo  da 
Cintra,  who  in  1445  was  killed  by  a  party  of  Moors,  the  Por- 
tuguese made  it  for  some  time  their  principal  settlement. 
The  country  was  far  from  presenting  a  brilliant  aspect, 
though  it  was  visited  by  caravans  of  the  "  Barbariis  and 
Luddaias  "  (the  people  of  I^ambarra  and  Ludamar),  who 
gave  a  very  favorable  report  of  the  interior  regions. 

In  1446  Diniz  Fernandez  discovered  Cape  Verde,  and  in 
the  following  year  Lancelot  entered  the  Senegal.  The  Por- 
tuguese found  in  this  neighborhood  fertile  and  populous 
regions  that  promised  to  reward  their  exertions  much  more 


In  Darkest  Africa  55 

efficiently  than  the  visionary  name  after  which  they  had  so 
eagerly  inquired.  A  circumstance  occurred,  also,  most  con- 
venient for  monarchs  who  contemplate  an  extension  of  do- 
minion. Bemoy,  a  prince  of  the  Jaloff  nation,  came  to  Ar- 
guin  complaining  that  he  had  been  driven  from  the  throne 
and  entreating  the  aid  of  the  Portuguese  to  restore  to  him 
his  crown,  which  he  was  willing  to  wear  as  their  ally,  and 
even  as  their  vassal.  Bemoy  was  received  with  open  arms 
and  conveyed  to  Lisbon.  Here  he  experienced  a  brilliant 
reception,  and  his  visit  was  celebrated  by  all  the  festal  ex- 
hibitions peculiar  to  that  age — bullfights,  puppet  shows,  and 
even  feasts  of  dogs.  On  this  occasion  Bemoy  made  a  dis- 
play of  the  agility  of  his  native  attendants,  who,  on  foot, 
kept  pace  with  the  swiftest  horses,  mounting  and  alighting 
from  these  animals  at  full  gallop.  After  being  instructed  in 
the  Christian  religion  he  was  baptizxd  and  did  homage  to 
the  king  and  to  the  pope  for  the  crown  which  was  to  be 
placed  on  his  head  ;  for  which  purpose  a  powerful  arma- 
ment, under  the  command  of  Pero  Vaz  d'Acunba,  was  sent 
out  with  him  to  the  banks  of  the  Senegal. 

The  conclusion  of  this  adventure  was  extremely  tragical. 
A  quarrel  having  arisen  between  Bemoy  and  the  commander, 
the  latter  stabbed  the  prince  on  board  his  vessel.  Whether 
this  violent  deed  was  prompted  by  the  heat  of  passion  or 
by  well-grounded  suspicions  of  Bemoy's  fidelity  was  never 
fully  investigated  ;  but  the  king  learned  the  event  with  deep 
regret,  and  in  consequence  gave  up  his  design  of  building 
a  fort  on  the  Senegal.  He  made,  however,  no  pause  in  his 
indefatigable  efforts  to  trace  the  abode  of  Prester  John. 
Ambassadors  were  sent  into  the  interior,  and,  according  to 
De  Barros,  even  as  far  as  Timbuctuo.  All  endeavors  were 
in  vain  as  to  the  primary  object,  but  the  Portuguese  thereby 
gained  a  more  complete  knowledge  of  this  part  of  the  inte- 
rior Africa  than  was  afterward  attained  in  Europe  till  a  very 
recent  period. 

The  Portuguese  continued  their  explorations  until,  in 
1 47 1,   they   reached   the  Gold  Coast,  when,  dazzled  by  the 


56  The  Flaming  Torch 

importance  and  splendor  of  the  commodity,  the  commerce 
of  which  gave  name  to  that  region,  they  built  the  city  of 
Elmina,  and  made  it  tlic  capital  of  their  possessions  on  this 
continent.  Pushing  onward  to  Benin,  they  .received  a  curious 
account  of  an  embassy  said  to  be  sent  at  the  accession  of 
every  new  monarch  to  the  court  of  a  sovereign  called  Ogane, 
resident  seven  or  eight  hundred  miles  in  the  interior.  When 
the  ambassadors  were  introduced  a  silk  curtain  shrouded 
the  monarch  from  their  view  till  the  moment  of  their  de- 
parture, when  the  royal  foot  was  graciously  put  forth  from 
undcM-  the  veil,  and  "  reverence  done  to  it  as  to  a  holy 
thing.'' 

In  1484  Diego  Cam  sailed  from  Elmina  in  quest  of  new 
shores  on  which  the  emblem  of  Portuguese  dominion  might 
be  planted.  After  passing  Cape  St.  Catharine  he  found 
himself  involved  in  a  very  strong  current  setting  out  from 
the  land,  which  was  still  distant,  though  the  water,  when 
tasted,  was  found  to  be  fresh.  It  was  conjectured,  there- 
fore, that  he  was  near  the  mouth  of  a  great  river,  which 
proved  to  be  the  fact.  It  has  since  become  celebrated  un- 
der the  name  of  the  Zaire,  or  Congo.  Diego,  on  reaching  its 
southern  bank,  erected  his  first  pillar — an  event  considered 
to  be  so  memorable  that  the  stream  itself  has  often,  by  Por- 
tuguese writers,  been  termed  the  ''  River  of  the  Pillar." 
He  ascended  its  shores,  opened  an  intercourse  with  the 
natives,  and  inquired  after  the  residence  of  their  sovereign. 
They  pointed  to  a  place  at  a  considerable  distance  in  the 
interior,  and  undertook  to  guide  thither  a  mission,  which 
they  pledged  themselves,  within  a  stipulated  period,  to  lead 
back  in  safety.  As  the  natives  meantime  passed  and  re- 
passed on  the  most  intimate  footing,  Diego  took  advantage 
of  a  moment  when  several  of  the  principal  persons  were  on 
board  his  ship,  weighed  anchor,  and  stood  out  to  sea.  He 
soothed  the  alarm  visible  in  the  countenances  of  their  coun- 
trymen on  shore  by  signs  intimating  that  this  step  was 
taken  solely  to  gratify  the  anxious  desire  of  his  so\'ereign  to 
see  and   converse  with  these  African  chiefs  ;  that  ir.   fifteen 


Wife  of  a  Marango  Chief 


In  Darkest  Africa  59 

moons  they  should  certainly  be  brought  back  again  ;  and 
that,  meanwhile,  a  number  of  his  people  should  be  left  as 
hostages.  Diego  then  sailed  to  Lisbon,  where  he  introduced 
with  triumph  these  living  trophies  of  his  discovery.  The 
king  Avas  highly  gratified,  and  held  many  conversations  with 
the  Congo  princes,  whom  he  loaded  with  honors  and  caused 
to  be  conveyed  back  at  the  appointed  period  to  the  shores 
of  the  Zaire.  On  Diego's  arrival  at  the  river  it  was  highly 
gratifying  to  see,  waiting  on  the  bank,  the  part  of  his  crew 
whom  he  had  left  as  pledges,  and  respecting  whom  he  had 
felt  some  anxiety.  He  was  invited  to  court,  where  the  king 
not  only  received  him  with  kindness,  but  agreed  to  embrace 
Christianity  and  to  send  several  of  his  principal  chiefs  to 
Europe  to  be  instructed  in  its  principles.  They  sailed  ac- 
cordingly, and  this  new  arrival  of  Congo  leaders  of  the  first 
rank  gave  fresh  satisfaction  at  Lisbon.  They  remained  two 
years,  experiencing  the  very  best  treatment,  and  on  their 
being  considered  ripe  for  baptism  the  king  stood  godfather 
to  the  principal  envoy  and  his  chief  notables  to  others,  on 
which  occasion  the  Africans  received  the  names  of  the  per- 
sons by  whom  they  had  been  thus  honored. 

Li  1490  a  new  expedition,  guided  by  Ruy  de  Sousa,  con- 
veyed back  the  Congo  nobles  to  their  native  country.  The 
Portuguese  on  their  arrival  were  received  by  the  king  in  full 
pomp.  The  native  troops  approached  in  three  lines,  mak- 
ing so  great  a  noise  with  horns,  kettledrums,  and  other  in- 
struments, and  raising  shouts  so  tremendous,  as  to  surpass 
all  that  the  Europeans  had  ever  witnessed  in  processions 
and  invocations  to  the  saints.  The  king  himself  was  seated 
in  the  midst  of  a  large  park,  upon  an  ivory  chair  raised  on 
a  platform.  He  was  dressed  in  rich  and  gloss)'  skins  of  wild 
beasts,  a  bracelet  of  brass  hanging  from  his  left  arm,  a 
horse's  tail  from  his  shoulder,  and  on  his  head  a  bonnet  of 
fine  cloth  woven  from  the  palm  tree.  He  gave  full  permis- 
sion to  erect  a  church,  and  when  murmurs  were  heard  from 
a  few  of  his  attendants  he  instantly  offered  to  put  them  to 
death  on   the   spot,  but  the   Portuguese  laudably  dissuaded 


60  The  Flaming  Torch 

him  from  so  violent  a  step.  He  himself  and  all  his  nobles 
were  baptized,  and  free  scope  was  allowed  to  the  exertion 
of  the  Catholic  missionaries.  These  churchmen  seem  to 
have  been  really  animated  with  a  very  devoted  and  perse- 
vering zeal  ;  but  they  had  unfortunately  conceived  an  incor- 
rect idea  of  what  they  came  to  teach,  and  instead  of  incul- 
cating the  pure  doctrines  and  precepts  of  Christianity 
merely  amused  the  people  with  empty  and  childish  pageant- 
ry. The  presentation  of  beads,  Agni  Dei,  images  of  the  Ma- 
donna and  saints,  the  splendid  processions,  the  rich  furni- 
ture, and  solemn  ceremonies  of  the  Church  dazzled  the  eyes 
of  the  natives,  and  made  them  view  Christianity  only  as  a 
gay  and  pompous  pageant  in  which  it  would  be  an  amuse- 
ment to  join.  There  was,  however,  o'.ie  point  which  the 
missionaries  soon  began  very  conscientiously,  and  perhaps 
in  rather  too  hasty  and  peremptory  a  manner,  to  enforce. 
Appalled  by  the  host  of  wives  that  surrounded  every  African 
prince  or  chief,  and  whom  it  had  been  his  constant  study 
and  pride  to  m.ultipl}-,  the  missionaries  desired  their  con- 
verts to  select  one  and  to  dismiss  all  the  others.  This  was 
considered  an  unwarrantable  inroad  on  one  of  the  most  ven- 
erable institutions  of  the  realm  of  Congo.  To  the  aged 
monarch  the  privation  appeared  so  intolerable  that  he  there- 
upon renounced  his  Christian  profession  and  plunged  again 
into  the  abyss  of  pagan  superstition.  Happily  Alphonso, 
the  youthful  heir  apparent,  saw  nothing  so  dreadful  in  the 
sacrifice  ;  he  cheerfully  submitted  to  it,  and,  braving  his 
father's  displeasure,  remained  attached  to  the  Portuguese. 
The  old  king  dying  soon  after,  the  zealous  convert  became 
entitled  to  reign  ;  but  his  brother,  Panso  Aquitimo,  sup- 
ported by  the  chiefs  and  almost  the  whole  nation,  raised 
the  standard  of  rebellion  in  support  of  pol3'gamy  and  pagan- 
ism. A  civil  war  ensued,  in  which  the  prince  had  little  more 
than  a  handful  of  Portuguese  to  oppose  to  the  innumerable 
host  of  his  rebel  countrymen  ;  however,  in  consequence,  as 
his  adherents  believed,  of  the  appearance  in  the  clouds  at 
one  time  of  Saint  James  and  at  another  of  the  Virgin  Mary, 


In   Darkest  Africa  61 

he  al\va}'s  came  off  victorious.  Doubtless  the  better  arms 
and  discipline  of  the  Portuguese  rendered  them  superior 
in  the  field  to  the  un>.lisciplined  host  of  their  assailants. 

The  Portuguese,  while  they  bore  away  the  palm  of  maritime 
enterprise  from  all  other  nations,  considered  Africa  most 
especial!}'  as  the  region  which  they  had  won  for  themselves, 
and  had  covered  with  trophies  of  discovery  and  victory. 
]3ut  after  being  subjected  to  the  cruel  and  degrading  yoke 
of  Philip  II,  of  Si)ain,  they  lost  all  their  spirit  and  energy. 
Under  the  same  influence  they  became  involved  in  hostility 
with  the  Dutch,  who  had  risen  to  the  first  rank  as  a  naval 
people,  and  whose  squadrons  successively  stripped  them  of 
their  most  important  possessions  in  this  continent  as  well  as 
in  the  East  Indies.  In  1637  Elmina  itself,  their  capital, 
fell  into  the  hands  of  these  bold  and  successful  rivals,  and 
at  present  the  boasted  lords  and  rulers  of  Guinea  have  not 
an  acre  left  of  their  extensive  dominions  along  the  whole 
western  coast ;  they  retain  the  Madeira  and  other  islands, 
\vhich  certainly  are  not  destitute  of  beauty,  and  even  of  some 
degree  of  political  and  commercial  value. 

The  southern  extremity  of  Africa  had  long  attracted  the 
particular  attention  of  modern  navigators.  To  pass  this 
mighty  cape  formed  the  main  object  of  ambition  with  the 
Portuguese  in  their  celebrated  voj-ages  of  discovery  along  the 
African  coast.  After  almost  a  centur}'  had  been  spent  in 
successive  endeavors  to  accomplish  that  undertaking,  Diaz 
obtained  a  view  of  this  great  ])romontory ;  but  the  stormy 
sk\'  in  which  it  was  enveloped,  and  the  fearful  swell  pro- 
duced by  the  conflict  of  the  contending  oceans,  appalled 
even  that  stout  navigator.  He  named  it  the  Cape  of 
Tempests,  and  immediately  returned  \\ith  his  shattered 
barks  to  Portugal.  The  king,  with  a  bolder  spirit,  sub- 
stituted forthwith  the  name  of  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  which 
it  has  ever  since  retained  ;  }'et  some  }'ears  elapsed  before 
the  daring  sailors  of  Gama  rounded  this  formidable  barrier 
and  crossed  the  ocean  to  the  golden  shores  of  India. 

The  Portuguese,  however,  engrossed  by  the  discovery  and 


62  The  Flaming  Torch 

conquest  of  the  khigdoms  of  the  East,  and  busied  in  load- 
ing their  vessels  with  the  produce  of  those  vast  and  opulent 
regions,  scarcely  deigned  to  cast  an  eye  on  the  rude  border 
of  southern  Africa,  its  terraces  of  granite,  its  naked  Karroo 
plains,  or  the  filthy  and  miserable  kraals  of  the  Hottentot. 
Their  fleets  stopped  occasionally  for  water  and  refresh- 
ments, but  no  attempts  were  made  to  occupy,  and  still  less 
to  colonize,  this  barren  and  unpromising  country. 

The  eastern  coast  of  Africa,  washed  by  the  Indian  Ocean, 
was  a  region  scarcely  visited  except  by  the  Portuguese,  who 
continued  to  throw  a  veil  of  mystery  over  all  their  dis- 
coveries. In  1498,  when  Vasco  de  Gama  had  rounded  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  he  touched  at  Mocambique,  Mombasa, 
and  Melinda,  where  he  found  the  ruling  people  Arabs  and 
bigoted  Mohammedans.  His  object  was  merely  to  obtain 
pilots  to  guide  his  fleet  to  India;  but  at  the  two  former  of 
these  ports  he  met  an  inhospitable  and  treacherous  recep- 
tion, while,  on  the  other  hand,  he  experienced  at  Melinda 
the  utmost  courtes}-,  and  readily  found  the  means  of  con- 
tinuing his  voyage  to  the  coast  of  Malabar.  Cabral,  who 
followed  in  the  footsteps  of  Gama,  likewise  visited  Quiloa, 
which  he  describes  as  the  capital  of  an  extensive  kingdom 
and  the  seat  of  a  flourishing  trade,  but  it  was  not  till  he, 
too,  reached  Melinda  that  he  could  obtain  any  friendly 
assistance. 

The  Portuguese  sought  in  African  settlements  only  food 
and  pilots,  and  made  no  attempt  at  conquest.  As  their 
empire,  however,  extended,  resentment  or  ambition  easily 
furnished  pretexts  for  attacking  those  settlements.  In 
1505  Almeda,  indignant  at  the  reception  given  to  him  at 
Ouiloa  and  Mombasa,  landed  and  took  possession  of  both 
these  cities.  In  1508  permission  was  obtained  to  erect  a 
fort  at  Mozambique,  by  means  of  which  the  Portuguese 
soon  expelled  the  Arabs  and  became  complete  masters  of 
the  town.  Attracted  by  its  vicinity  to  the  gold  mines,  and 
its  convenience  as  a  place  for  revictualing  and  recuperating 
their  fleets,  they  made  it  the  capital  of  their  possessions  in 


In  Darkest  Africa  65 

eastern  Africa.  Mclinda  also,  which  had  long  shown  such 
a  friendly  disposition  to  Europeans,  became  at  last  unable  to 
endure  the  insulting  spirit  of  the  Mohammedans  ;  a  quarrel 
arose,  and  that  city  was  added  to  the  dominion  of  the 
Portuguese.  They  were  at  that  time  masters  of  an  immense 
range  of  coast,  fully  two  thousand  miles  in  length,  on  which 
they  held  all  the  principal  positions,  though  without  extend- 
ing their  sway  to  any  distance  into  the  interior. 

About  1569  these  courageous  invaders  made  two  vigorous 
attempts,  under  Nugnez  Barreto  and  Vasco  Fernandez,  to 
advance  into  the  country  behind  Mozambique,  chiefly  with 
the  view  of  reaching  the  mines  of  gold,  the  product  of  which 
was  brought  in  considerable  quantities  down  the  Zambesi 
to  Sofala.  They  penetrated  a  considerable  \\:\\'  up  the 
river,  on  the  banks  of  which  they  erected  the  forts  of  Sena 
and  Tete.  Its  upper  course  was  found  overhung  by  steep 
and  precipitous  rocks,  belonging  to  the  mountainous  range 
<jf  Lupala,  which  here  crosses  its  channel.  They  arrived  at 
Zimbao,  the  capital  of  Quiteve,  or  King  of  Motapa,  and  even 
at  the  gold  mines  of  Manica;  but  instead  of  the  expected 
profusion  of  this  precious  metal  they  found  that,  as  in  other 
parts  of  Africa,  it  was  laboriously  extracted  in  small  quan- 
tities from  the  extraneous  substances  in  which  it  is  im- 
bedded. On  this  expedition  they  had  frequent  encounters 
with  the  natives,  who  were  always  beaten  in  the  field;  but 
the  Europeans  were  so  harassed  by  long  marches  and  by 
the  scarcity  of  provisions  that  they  finally  returned  in  a 
very  exhausted  state,  and  without  having  been  able  to 
establish  any  permanent  dominion  over  that  vast  extent  of 
countr\\ 

As  the  energy  of  the  Portuguese  government  declined 
its  sway  over  these  colonics  was  reduced  within  limits 
which  always  became  narrower.  In  163 1  the  people  of 
Mombasa  rebelled,  made  a  general  massacre  of  the  Euro- 
peans, and  reestablished  their  independence.  About  the 
end  of  the  seventeenth  century  the  Imam  of  Mascat,  a 
powerful  Arabian   prince,  drove  them  out   of  Melinda  and 


66  The  Flaming  Torch 

Quiloa.  Their  possessions  are  now  confined  to  Mozam- 
bique and  Sofala,  and  are  maintained  even  there  on  a  very- 
reduced  scale.  The  former  of  these  stations,  when  visited 
by  Mr.  Salt  in  1808,  was  found  to  contain  less  than  three 
thousand  inhabitants,  of  whom  only  five  hundred  were 
Portuguese  ;  and  the  fortifications  were  in  so  neglected  a 
state  that  an  Arabian  chief  assured  the  traveler  that  with 
one  hundred  stout  followers  he  could  drive  the  subjects  of 
Portugal  out  of  this  capital  of  eastern  Africa.  "Yet  the 
government  house,  in  its  interior  arrangements,"  still  ex- 
hibits some  remains  of  the  ancient  splendor  of  the  viceroys. 
Mocambique  had  a  considerable  commerce  in  gold,  ivory, 
and  slaves,  brought  down  from  the  regions  of  the  Upper 
Zambesi. 

Portugal  inaugurated  the  slave  trade  between  western 
Africa  and  Europe.  Antonio  Gonsalvo  brought  home  some 
gold  dust  and  slaves  in  1443.  These  were  probably  the  first 
slaves  taken  from  western  /Africa  by  Europeans.  They  were 
presented  to  Pope  Martin  V,  and  he  conferred  on  Portugal 
the  right  of  possession  of  all  countries  discovered  between 
Cape  Bojado  and  the  Indies.  Portugal  also  had  the  first  of 
many  chartered  companies  to  trade  in  African  gold  and 
slaves. 

While  Portugal  was  practically  mistress  of  Africa  during 
much  of  the  sixteenth  century,  England,  Spain,  and  France 
were  absorbed  in  the  acquisition  of  territory  in  the  new 
western  world.  Cortez  had  conquered  Mexico  (1520), 
Magellan  had  passed  the  strait  bearing  his  name,  the 
Spaniards  had  introduced  slaves  into  the  West  Indies  (i  508), 
Cartier  had  entered  the  St.  Lawrence  (1535),  and  France 
began  settling  Canada  (1542),  and  the  year  previous  De 
Soto  had  been  on  the  Mississippi. 

The  thirst  for  gold  grew  rapidly  as  the  stories  of  explora- 
tion and  conquest  multiplied.  The  slave  trade  had  already 
grown  to  be  the  chief  African  traffic.  Indians  had  proved  a 
failure  as  slaves  in  America.  A  few  Negro  slaves  admitted 
into  the  West   Indies   had  proved   such   a  success  that  the 


In  Darkest  Africa  67 

traffic  had  grown  enormously.  In  1516  Charles  V.  granted 
a  patent  to  a  Flemish  trader  to  import  four  thousand  slaves 
annually  to  the  West  Indies.  The  pope  opened  a  slave 
market  in  Lisbon.  As  early  as  1537,  it  is  said,  ten  to  twelve 
thousand  slaves  were  taken  there  annually  and  sent  to  the 
West  Indies.  In  1562  Sir  John  Hawkins,  in  spite  of  the 
protest  of  the  queen  and  many  philanthropists,  inaugurated 
the  slave  trade  for  Eni^land,  which  later  on  was  chartered 
b}'  ro\'al  authorit}'. 

For  one  hundred  and  fifty  years,  from  1550  to  the  close 
of  the  seventeenth  centur}-,  one  by  one  the  leading  nations 
of  Europe  began  to  get  footholds  on  the  African  coasts, 
especially  on  the  west,  and  Portugal  was  gradually  pushed 
out  and  foundations  laid  for  the  permanent  division  of  the 
continent. 

The  Dutch  having  pushed  their  way  into  the  Indian  seas 
— where  they  first  rivaled  and  then  supplanted  the  Portu- 
guese— were  not  long  in  discovering  the  important  advan- 
tage that  might  be  derived  from  the  Ca[)e  of  Good  Hope 
as  a  naval  station.  In  1650  they  founded  Cape  Town — a 
step  which  led  to  further  imj)rovement,  for  it  thereby  be- 
came necessary  that  supplies  of  grain  and  provisions 
should  be  drawn  from  the  surrounding  country.  When, 
moreover,  it  was  discovered  that  on  some  neighboring  hills 
the  vine  could  be  reared  in  high  perfection  a  new  value  was 
stamped  upon  the  settlement.  The  natives,  not  then  desti- 
tute of  braver}',  but  ill-armed,  undiscij^lined,  and  disunited, 
were  easily  driven  back  by  the  colonists  or  reduced  to  an 
almost  complete  and  hopeless  bondage,  and  hence  the  coun- 
try for  several  hundred  miles  in  every  direction,  so  far  as  it 
afforded  any  herbage,  was  soon  covered  with  extensive 
grazing  farms  under  Dutch  masters. 

About  the  close  of  the  last  ceiUui}'  southern  Africa  ex- 
cited a  particular  interest  among  the  lovers  of  natural  his- 
tory from  the  brillianc}'  of  its  florcd  productions  and  from 
those  remarkable  forms  of  the  animal  kingdom  which  though 
generally  diffused  over  that  continent  could  be  most  safely 


68 


The  Flaming  Torch 


and  easily  studied  in  the  vicinity  of  the  cape.  In  1778  Cap- 
tain Henry  Hope,  who  under  the  authority  of  the  Dutch 
government  had  penetrated  into  the  interior  of  the  colony 
with  a  caravan  of  eighty-nine  persons,  published  at  Amster- 
dam a  work  containing  plates  of  the  giraffe  (or  camelopard), 
the  zebra,  the  hippopotamus,  the  gnu,  and  other  animals 
then  almost  unknown  in  Europe.  Soon  after  the  whole 
region  was  carefully  surveyed  by  two  eminent  naturalists, 
first  Sparrmann,  and  then  Le  Vaillant. 

The  Hottentots  were  "  reduced  almost  universally  to 
the  condition  of  slaves — not  transferable,  indeed,  but  at- 
tached to  the  soil,  and  not  on  that  account  the  better 
treated."  Frequent  use  was  made  of  a  heavy  leathern  thong, 
the  lashes  inflicted  with  which  were  measured  not  by  num- 
ber, but  time.  Connecting  this  punishment  with  his  favorite 
luxury,  the  Dutchman  ordered  the  flogging  of  the  culprit  to 
continue  while  he  himself  smoked  a  certain  number  of 
pipes. 


Cattle  of  the  Boers 


In  Darkest  Africa 


69 


CHAPTER  V 

England  and  France  Explore  Africa 

UROPE  began  to  realize  that  there  was 
an  important  gold  trade  carried  on  at 
Timbuctoo  and  along  the  Niger  at  the 
beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century. 
Letters  were  even  received  from  Morocco, 
representing  its  treasures  as  surpassing 
those  of  Mexico  and  Peru.  On  that  side, 
indeed,  the  immense  desert  and  its  barbar- 
ous inhabitants  rendered  these  central 
regions  almost  inaccessible  ;  but  there  was 
another  channel  which  seemed  to  open 
the  fairest  and  most  tempting  prospects. 
According  to  all  the  geographical  systems  of  that  age,  the 
great  river  Niger,  which  flowed  through  the  interior  of  the 
continent,  and  by  whose  alluvion  its  plains  were  covered 
with  gold,  was  understood  to  empty  itself  into  the  Atlantic 
either  by  the  Senegal  or  Gambia,  or,  as  was  more  commonly 
supposed,  by  both  these  rivers,  imagined  to  be  branches 
proceeding  from  the  great  stream.  By  ascending  either 
the  Senegal  or  Gambia,  it  therefore  seemed  possible  to 
reach  Timbuctoo  and  the  country  of  gold  ;  and  this  became 
a  favorite  object  with  several  European  nations. 

In  i6i8  a  company  was  formed  in  England  for  the  pur- 
pose of  exploring  the  Gambia.  They  sent  out,  the  same  year, 
Richard  Thompson.  In  the  month  of  December  he  entered 
the  river,  and  proceeding  as  high  as  Kassan,  a  fortified  town, 
he  left  most  of  his  crew,  while  he  pushed  on  in  small 
boats.  The  Portuguese,  who  were  still  numerous  in  that 
district  and  retained  all  their  lofty  claims,  were  seized  with 
bitter  jealousy  at  this  expedition  made  by  a  foreign  and  rival 
power.     Led  on  by  Hector  Nunez,  they  furiously  attacked 


70  The  Flaming  Torch 

the  party  which  had  been  left  at  Kassan,  and  succeeded  in 
making  a  general  massacre  of  the  English.  Thompson,  on 
learning  these  dreadful  tidings,  although  unable  to  make  an)- 
effort  to  avenge  the  slaughter  of  his  countrymen,  still  main- 
tained his  station  on  the  river,  and  sent  home  encouraging 
accounts  of  the  general  prospects  of  the  undertaking.  The 
company  listened  to  his  statement,  and  sent  out  another 
vessel,  giving  command  to  Richard  Jobson,  to  whom  we 
are  indebted  for  the  first  satisfactory  account  of  the  great 
river  districts  of  western  Africa. 

Jobson  entered  the  Gambia  in  November,  1620,  but  was 
dismayed  when  he  received  the  tidings  that  Thompson  had 
perished  by  the  hands  of  his  own  men.  Notwithstanding  the 
shock  caused  by  this  intelligence,  he  did  not  suffer  himself  to 
be  discouraged,  but  pushing  briskly  up  the  river,  soon  arrived 
at  Kassan.  The  Portuguese  inhabitants  had  mostly  fled  be- 
fore his  arrival,  while  the  few  who  remained  professed,  in  re- 
spect to  Hector  Nunez  and  the  massacre  of  the  English 
crew,  an  ignorance,  and  even  a  horror,  for  which  he  gave 
them  very  little  credit.  He  had  reason,  on  the  contrary, 
to  believe  that  they  were  forming  a  scheme  of  attack,  and 
even  urging  the  natives  to  rise  against  the  English  ;  and  such 
was  the  dread  of  their  machinations  that  scarcely  anyone 
could  be  prevailed  on  to  act  as  his  pilot.  Notwithstanding 
these  suspicions  and  alarms  he  still  pursued  his  course,  but 
after  passing  the  falls  of  Barraconda  he  found  himself  involved 
in  great  difficulties.  The  ascent  was  to  be  made  against  a 
rapid  current ;  the  frequency  of  hidden  rocks  made  it  danger- 
ous to  sail  in  the  night ;  and  the  boat  often  struck  upon  sand 
banks  and  shallows,  when  it  was  necessary  for  the  crew  to 
strip  and  go  into  the  water  to  push  it  over  these  obstacles. 

The  English  now  beheld  an  entirely  new  world  and  a  new 
aspect  of  nature.  On  every  side  there  were  immense  forests 
of  unknown  trees,  while  both  the  land  and  the  water  were 
inhabited  by  multitudes  of  savage  animals  whose  roarings 
made  every  night  hideous. 

After  innumerable  difficulties  and  adventures  the   party 


In  Darkest  Africa  71 

arrived  at  Tenda  on  the  26th  of  January,  1^21,  where  they 
expected  to  meet  with  Buckar  Sano,  the  chief  merchant  on 
the  Gambia, 

The  report  of  a  vessel  come  up  to  trade  attracted  a  great 
number  of  natives  from  the  neighboring  districts,  who  reared 
temporary  hovels  and  soon  formed  a  little  viUagc  on  each 
side  of  the  river.  Speedily  there  appeared  five  hundred  or 
more  of  an  even  less  civilized  race,  covered  with  skins  of  wild 
animals,  "the  tails  hanging  from  the  beasts."  l"he  women, 
who  had  never  before  seen  a  white  man,  at  first  ran  awa\-, 
but  the  sight  of  a  few  beads  soon  allured  them  to  return. 
Unluckily,  the  universal  cry  was  for  salt,  a  connnodity  de- 
ficient and  much  desired  through  all  central  Africa.  But 
Jobson,  not  duly  apprised  of  this,  had  not  laid  in  a  sufficient 
stock.  Everything  else  was  lightly  prized  in  comparison, 
and  many  who  were  coming  to  swell  the  market,  on  learning 
that  he  had  no  salt,  instantly  turned  back. 

Buckar  Sano  undertook  to  introduce  the  English  at  the 
court  of  Tenda.  On  reaching  the  king's  presence  they  wit- 
nessed an  example  of  the  debasing  homage  usually  paid  to 
Negro  princes,  and  of  which  Clapperton,  in  Eyeo,  afterward 
saw  several  striking  instances.  The  great  and  wealthy  mer- 
chant, appearing  in  the  presence  of  the  king,  first  fell  on  his 
knees,  then,  throwing  off  his  shirt,  extended  himself  naked 
and  flat  on  the  ground,  while  his  attendants  almost  buried 
him  beneath  dust  and  mud.  After  groveling  for  some  time 
in  this  prone  position  he  started  up,  shook  off  the  earth, 
which  two  of  his  wives  assisted  in  clearing  from  his  person, 
and  he  was  then  speedily  equipped  in  his  best  attire,  with 
bow  and  quiver.  lie  and  his  attendaiits,  after  having  made 
a  semblance  of  shooting  at  Jobson,  laid  their  bows  at  his 
feet,  which  was  understood  as  a  token  of  homage.  The 
king  even  assured  the  English  captain  that  the  country  and 
everything  in  it  were  placed  at  his  disposal.  In  return  for 
gifts  so  magnificent  it  was  impossible  to  refuse  a  few  bottles 
of  brandy,  the  value  of  which,  however,  Jobson  never  ex- 
pected to  realize  from  these  regal  donations. 


72 


The  Flaming  Torch 


The  English  commander  soon  found  himself  in  the  middle 
of  the  dry  season  and  the  river  sinking  lower  and  lower  ;  )et 
he  still  made  a  hard  struggle  to  ascend,  animated  by  the  de- 
ceitful or  inflated  reports  of  Buckar  Sano  concerning  the 
city  of  gold.  At  the  distance  of  a  few  days'  journey  he 
heard  of  Tombaconda,  which  he  conjectured  to  be  Timbuc- 
too.  The  conclusion  was  erroneous,  however,  that  city  being 
distant  nearly  a  thousand  miles;  but  Europeans  had  formed 
as  yet  no  accurate  idea  of  the  dimensions  of  Africa.  At 
length  the  stream  became  so  shallow  that  Jobson  found  it 


Hippopotami 

vain  to  attempt  ascending  higher.  He  began  his  voyage 
downward  on  February  lo,  proposing  to  make  a  fresh  at- 
tempt during  the  season  when  the  periodical  rains  should 
have  filled  the  channel.  This  purpose  was  never  executed, 
but  he  and  the  company  became  involved  in  quarrels  with 
the  merchants,  against  whom  he  complained  bitterly,  speak- 
ing of  them  as  persons  who  entirely  disregarded  every  object 
beyond  their  own  immediate  profit. 

Another  journey  of  discovery  was  made  about  1660  or 
1665  by  Vermuyden,  a  rich  merchant  on  the  Gambia,  who 
fitted  out  a  boat  well  stored  with  beef,  bacon,  biscuit,  rice,  and 
other  comfortable  supplies,  which,  however,  when  he  arrived 


In  Darkest  Africa  73 

at  the  shallow  parts  of  the  river,  were  found  to  materially 
impede  the  movement  of  the  vessel.  According  to  the 
record  he  came  first  to  a  wide  expanse  of  water,  where  the 
only  difficulty  was  to  find  the  main  branch  amid  several  that 
opened  from  different  quarters.  "  Up  the  buffeting  stream," 
says  he,  "  with  no  small  labor  we  wrought,"  and  when  they 
ascended  higher  it  became  necessary  often  to  drag  the  boat 
along,  for  which  purpose  they  were  often  obliged  to  strip 
naked  and  walk  through  the  water.  They  were  not  kindly 
received  by  the  tenants  of  these  upper  tracts,  the  crocodiles 
and  hippopotami.  One  of  the  latter  struck  a  hole  in  the 
boat  with  his  teeth,  an  accident  which  proved  very  incon- 
venient. It  was  only  by  hanging  a  lantern  at  the  stern  that 
these  monsters  were  induced  to  maintain  a  respectful  dis- 
tance. On  landing  to  search  for  gold  they  were  attacked  by 
a  large  number  of  huge  baboons,  and  it  was  only  after  many 
of  them  had  been  shot  that  the  remainder  became  alarmed 
and  scampered  off  into  the  woods. 

Vermuyden  had  carried  out  not  only  mercury,  aqua  rcgia, 
and  melting  pots,  but  also  a  divining  rod,  which  was  not 
found  to  exhibit  any  virtue.  However,  on  being  laughed  at 
by  his  fellow-travelers  for  his  expectations  from  it,  he  con- 
cluded that  this  instrument  had  lost  its  magic  qualities  by 
being  dried  up  during  the  voyage  from  England.  He  exam- 
ined the  rocks  at  various  places  and  on  one  occasion  found 
a  large  mass  of  yellow,  glittering  substance  which  he  thought 
was  gold,  but  which  proved  to  be  only  spar.  At  one  place, 
by  twenty  days'  labor,  he  succeeded  in  extracting  twelve 
pounds  of  gold.  "At  length,"  he  declares,  "we  arrived  at 
the  mouth  of  the  mine  itself,  and  saw  gold  in  such  abundance 
as  to  surprise  us  with  joy  and  admiration."  However,  he 
gives  no  notice  of  the  position  of  this  famous  mine,  and  its 
existence  has  not  been  confirmed  by  any  subsequent  explorer. 

The  Duke  of  Chandos,  director  of  an  English  compan}', 
entertained  the  idea  of  retrieving  the  finances  of  the  com- 
pany by  opening  a  path  into  the  regions  of  gold  still  be- 
lieved to  exist  in  the  interior  of  Africa,  and  at  his  suggestion 


74  The  Flaming  Torch 

the  company,  in  1723,  furnished  Captain  Bartholomew  Stibbs 
with  funds  for  an  expedition  up  the  Gambia.  On  the  7th  of 
October  this  navigator  arrived  at  James  Island,  the  English 
settlement,  about  thirty  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
from  which  place  he  immediately  wrote  to  Mr.  Willy,  the 
governor,  who  happened  to  be  then  visiting  the  company's 
station  at  Joar,  more  than  a  hundred  miles  distant,  asking 
him  to  engage  canoes.  He  received  for  answer  that  there 
were  none  to  be  had,  and  was  almost  distracted  to  learn  that 
Mr.  Willy  was  giving  himself  no  concern  about  the  affair. 
Some  days  after,  however,  a  boat  brought  down  the  dead 
body  of  the  governor,  who  had  fallen  a  victim  to  the  fever 
of  the  climate,  which  had  previously  affected  his  brain. 
Thus,  notwithstanding  every  exertion  of  the  governor  who 
succeeded  him,  the  equipment  of  the  boats  was  delayed  until 
December  ii.  Stibbs  had  assigned  to  him  a  crew  of  eight- 
een white  men,  and  one  as  black  as  coal  who  served  as  in- 
terpreter ;  also,  twenty-nine  hired  Negroes,  with  three  female 
cooks ;  and  it  is  recorded  that  he  afterward  took  on  board 
"a  native  musician  to  enliven  the  spirits  of  the  party." 

They  were  everywhere  well  received,  and  at  one  place 
even  a  charm  had  been  laid  upon  the  bank  for  the  purpose 
of  drawing  them  on  shore.  The  captain  had  endeavored  to 
conceal  the  object  of  his  journey,  but  in  vain,  and  he  found 
himself  everywhere  pointed  out  as  the  person  who  had  come 
for  the  gold.  The  native  crew,  however,  predicted  disaster  if 
he  attempted  to  proceed  above  the  falls  of  Barraconda.  As 
the  boats  approached  that  fatal  boundary  the  Africans 
stated  their  firm  determination  not  to  proceed  any  farther. 
No  one,  they  said,  had  ever  gone  beyond  Barraconda — 
"  Barraconda  was  the  end  of  the  world  " — or,  if  there  existed 
anything  beyond,  it  was  a  frightful  and  barbarous  region 
where  life  would  be  in  continual  danger.  A  long  palaver 
was  necessary  to  induce  them  to  agree  to  accompany  him 
beyond  this  dreaded  boundary  of  the  habitable  universe. 

The  falls  of  Barraconda  were  not  found  so  formidable  as 
rumor  had  represented  ;  they  were  narrows  rather  than  falls, 


In  Darkest  Africa  75 

the  channel  being  confined  by  rocky  ledges  and  fragments, 
between  which  there  was  only  one  passage,  where  the  canoes 
rubbed  against  the  rock  on  each  side.  In  this  region  of  the 
Upper  Gambia,  the  natives  proved  to  be  a  harmless,  good- 
humored  people,  who,  wherever  the  crew  landed,  met  them 
with  presents  of  fowls  and  provisions. 

On  his  return.  Captain  Stibbs,  after  making  every  allow- 
ance for  the  season  and  circumstances,  could  not  forbear 
expressing  his  disappointment  in  regard  to  the  expectations 
with  which  he  had  ascended  the  Gambia.  He  saw  no  ap- 
pearance of  that  mighty  channel  which  was  to  lead  into  the 
remote  interior  of  Africa  and  through  so  many  great  king- 
doms. He  declared  his  conviction  that  "  its  original  or  head  is 
nothing  near  so  far  in  the  country  as  the  geographers  had 
represented."  It  did  not  of  course  appear  to  him  to  answer 
in  any  respect  the  descriptions  given  of  the  Niger — it  no- 
where bore  that  name — it  did  not  come  out  of  any  lake  that 
he  could  hear  of,  and,  so  far  as  he  could  discover,  it  had  no 
communication  with  the  Senegal  or  any  other  great  river. 
The  natives  reported  that  at  twelve  days'  journey  above 
Barraconda  it  dwindled  into  a  rivulet,  and  "  fowls  walked 
over  it."  These  statements  were  received  most  reluctantly 
by  Moore,  now  the  company's  agent  on  the  Gambia,  and  a 
man  of  spirit  and  intelligence.  He  had  even  acquired  some 
learning  on  the  subject,  and  endeavored  to  overwhelm  Stibbs 
with  quotations  from  Herodotus,  Leo,  Edrisi,  and  other  high 
authorities.  The  mariner,  though  quite  unable  to  cope  with 
him  in  this  field  of  discussion,  could  only  repeat  the  plain 
facts  as  he  had  seen  them  for  himself,  and  a  degree  of  dis- 
couragement was  felt  which  prevented  any  other  voyage  of 
exploration  being  undertaken  into  that  part  of  the  African 
continent  for  some  considerable  time. 

The  glorious  and  splendid  results  which  had  arisen  from 
the  discovery  of  the  East  and  West  Indies  caused  the  ocean 
to  be  generally  viewed  as  the  grand  theater  where  wealth 
and  glory  was  to  be  gained.  The  French  and  English 
nations,  whose  turn   it   was  to    take  the  lead   in   European 


76  The  Flaming  Torch 

affairs,  pressed  eagerly  forward  in  this  career,  endeavoring 
at  once  to  surpass  their  predecessors  and  each  other.  Many 
of  their  African  settlements  were  formed  with  the  view  of 
securing  a  supply  of  slaves  for  their  West  India  possessions. 

France  did  not  embark  so  early  as  some  of  the  other 
powers  in  African  discovery.  Louis  XIV,  aided  by  his 
minister,  Colbert,  was  the  first  prince  who  studied  to  raise 
his  kingdom  to  a  high  rank  as  a  commercial  and  maritime 
power.  But,  unfortunately,  according  to  the  spirit  of  the 
time,  the  only  mode  in  which  he  ever  thought  of  promoting 
any  branch  of  trade  was  by  vesting  it  in  an  exclusive  com- 
pany. However,  these  copartnerships  at  their  first  forma- 
tion attracted  many  intelligent  and  wealthy  individuals,  and 
generally  opened  with  a  career  of  enterprise  and  discovery. 
While  the  English  sought  to  ascend  the  Gambia,  the  Sene- 
gal was  the  choice  of  the  French — the  stream  by  which  they 
hoped  to  penetrate  to  Timbuctoo  and  the  regions  of  gold, 
and  at  the  mouth  of  this  river,  about  the  year  1626,  was 
founded  the  settlement  of  Saint  Louis. 

Another  expedition  sailed  from  Dieppe,  France,  on  the 
5th  of  November,  1637,  and  touched  at  the  Canaries  ;  but 
the  first  spot  on  the  continent  where  they  landed  was  a  part 
of  the  Sahara,  near  Cape  Blanco.  At  Senegal  the  colony 
which  was  founded  in  1626  was  in  such  an  undeveloped 
state  that  the  sailors  were  obliged  to  rear  huts  for  their  owmi 
accommodation  ;  and,  slight  as  these  were,  the  labor  under 
a  burning  sun  was  very  severe.  In  ascending  the  river,  how- 
ever, they  were  delighted  with  the  brilliant  verdure  of  the 
banks,  the  majestic  beauty  of  the  trees,  and  the  thick,  im- 
penetrable underwood.  The  natives  received  them  hospita- 
bly, and  they  were  much  impressed  by  the  individual  strength 
and  courage  of  the  Africans.  They  saw  a  Moorish  chief, 
called  the  Kamalingo,  mounted  on  horseback,  with  three 
javelins  and  a  cutlass,  engage  a  lion  in  single  combat  and 
vanquish  him  in  short  order.  Flat  noses  and  thick  lips,  so 
remote  from  their  ideas  of  the  beautiful,  were  considered  on 
the  Senegal   as    forming  the  perfection   of  human   beauty. 


L:^< 


In  Darkest  Africa  79 

The  enormous  number  of  charms  in  which  the  chiefs  were 
enveloped  surprised  the  travelers.  All  the  perils  of  water, 
of  wild  beasts,  and  of  battle  had  an  appropriate  greegree  by 
which  the  owner  was  secured  against  them.  These  potent 
charms  were  merely  slips  of  paper  which  the  marabouts,  or 
Mussulman  doctors,  had  inscribed  in  Arabic  characters  ;  and 
being  inclosed  in  a  case  of  thick  cloth,  or  even  of  gold  or 
silver,  were  hung  round  the  person  in  such  profusion  that 
they  actually  formed  a  species  of  armor. 

In  1697  Sieur  Brue  embarked  on  a  visit  to  the  king  of 
the  Foulahs,  whose  territory  lay  about  four  hundred  miles 
up  the  Senegal.  In  ascending  that  river  he  was  also  much 
impressed  by  the  magnificent  forests,  while  greatly  amused 
at  the  antics  of  the  numberless  varieties  of  the  monkey  tribe. 
Elephants  marched  in  bands,  and  large  herds  of  cattle  fed 
on  the  rich  meadows,  though  during  the  season  of  inunda- 
tion they  withdrew  to  more  elevated  places.  At  Kahayde 
Sieur  Brue  was  received  by  the  chief,  and  at  Ghincl  by 
Bukar  Sieur,  one  of  the  princes. 

In  1698  the  same  traveler  undertook  another  voyage,  in 
which  he  aimed  principally  to  ascend  the  Senegal  to  the 
highest  possible  point,  and  to  open  commercial  intercourse 
with  the  interior.  In  this  voyage  he  was  amicably  received 
by  the  Siratik,  and  won  especial  favor  by  having  four  of  his 
Negroes  destroy  an  enormous  lion  which  had  been  terroriz- 
ing the  neighborhood.  As  he  continued  his  journey  he  saw 
many  forms  of  the  animal  creation,  and  records  that  on  one 
occasion  the  air  was  darkened  for  two  hours  by  the  passage 
of  a  cloud  of  locusts.  Lions  and  elephants  roamed  in  vast 
numbers,  but  the  latter,  he  declares,  "were  tame  and 
harmless  if  unmolested."  Monkeys  swarmed  in  multitudes, 
and  in  one  place  there  was  a  red-colored  species  which  ap- 
peared to  converse  with  each  other,  and  when  the  strangers 
were  in  sight  threw  down  dry  branches  upon  the  boats. 
The  Frenchmen,  we  know  not  why,  fired  and  killed  several, 
upon  which  the  monkeys  became  greatly  excited  and 
sought,  by  throwing  stones  and  sticks,  to  avenge  the  death 


80  The  Flaming  Torch 

of  their  comrades,  but  finding  the  contest  unequal  they  re- 
tired into  the  woods  for  safety. 

When  Brue  reached  Gallam  he  found  himself  in  a  some- 
what embarrassing  position.  Two  rival  princes  disputed  the 
throne,  each  holding,  at  his  respective  residence,  a  certain 
powder,  but  each  also  claiming  for  himself  absolutely  the 
attention  and  presents  brought  by  the  traveler.  The  legiti- 
mate prince  sent  his  son  to  Brue  to  remonrtrate  that  his 
claim  ought  not  to  be  set  aside  for  that  of  the  usurper. 
Brue,  however,  acting  steadily  on  the  principle  of  self- 
interest,  soon  ascertained  which  of  the  two  sovereigns  could 
be  of  most  benefit  to  him,  and  finding  the  rebel  to  be 
the  most  powerful  favored  him  with  the  larger  portion 
of  presents.  The  other  prince  was  thereby  so  incensed 
that  he  even  threatened  an  attack,  but  the  determined  lan- 
guage of  Brue  and  the  sight  of  the  great  guns  which  the 
French  had  on  board  caused  him  to  relinquish  his  hostile 
intentions, 

Brue  decided  on  Dramanet  as  a  suitable  place  for  a  fort. 
It  is  a  thriving  town  inhabited  by  many  rich  merchants  who 
trade  through  the  country  as  far  as  Timbuctoo,  which,  ac- 
cording to  their  reckoning,  was  five  hundred  leagues  in  the 
interior.  He  then  went  up  to  Felu,  where  a  large  rock 
crossing  the  river  formed  a  cataract,  rendering  it  impossible 
for  the  vessels  to  pass,  upon  which  he  quitted  his  boats  and 
proposed  to  ascend  to  the  falls  of  Govinea,  about  fort}- 
leagues  farther  up  the  river,  but  the  water  was  low,  and,  fear- 
ing lest  the  navigation  downward  should  be  interrupted,  he 
considered  it  advisable  to  return  to  Saint  Louis. 

In  reply  to  numerous  inquiries  made  by  him  on  this  jour- 
ney he  received  accounts  of  the  kingdom  of  Bambarra,  of 
the  Lake  Maberia  (Dibbie  of  Park\  of  Timbuctoo,  of  the 
caravans  which  came  thither  from  Barbary,  and  even  of 
masted  vessels  which  were  seen  on  the  waters  beyond.  But 
he  desired  most  to  learn  the  course  of  the  Niger,  concern- 
ing which  he  received  conflicting  reports.  According  to 
some   it  flowed  westward    from   the    Lake    Maberia   until   it 


In  Darkest  Africa  81 

separated  into  the  two  channels  of  the  Gambia  and  Senegal, 
but  other  and  more  feasible  reports  represented  it  as  being 
distinct  from  both  these  rivers  and  as  passing  eastward 
beyond  Timbuctoo.  The  testimonies  transmitted  to  France 
in  favor  of  this  last  opinion  must  have  greatly  influenced 
the  geographers  Delille  and  D'Anville  from  the  fact  that 
they  accepted  that  explanation,  although  the  popular  opin- 
ion in  that  country,  as  well  as  throughout  Europe,  was  that 
the  Niger  and  Senegal  were  one  and  the  same  river. 

But  beyond  Gallam  lay  another  and  still  more  tempting 
region,  Bambouk,  which  was  reported  to  contain  gold  mines 
the  most  productive  of  all  that  were  to  be  found  in  the 
interior  of  western  Africa,  The  difficulty  of  penetrating 
thither,  however,  was  extreme,  the  natives  having  com- 
pletely barred  the  frontier  against  white  men  in  consequence 
of  the  tyranny  exercised  by  the  Portuguese,  who  had  ruled 
and  oppressed  the  district  until  they  were  cut  off  or  ex- 
pelled by  a  general  insurrection.  Many  adventurers,  after 
being  offered  large  bribes  to  undertake  the  journey  to  Bam- 
bouk, declined  the  enterprise  on  account  of  the  difficulties 
and  dangers.  At  length  a  young  Frenchman,  Compagnon, 
ventured  to  cross  into  the  forbidden  territory,  and  by  his 
tact,  address,  and  courage  succeeded  in  conciliating  the  in- 
habitants of  the  first  village  he  reached.  A  general  alarm, 
however,  spread  around  when  it  was  known  that  a  white  man 
was  in  the  country,  and  the  chiefs  declared  that,  according 
to  the  laws,  he  should  be  put  to  death.  Compagnon,  how- 
ever, by  presents  and  diplomacy,  succeeded  in  journeying 
through  the  country  from  village  to  village.  Revisited  the 
principal  districts,  and  even  carried  off  specimens  of  the 
"ghingan,"  or  golden  earth,  which  forms  the  pride  and 
wealth  of  Bambouk.  Brue,  on  receiving  Compagnon's 
report,  transmitted  to  France  various  propositions,  among 
others  that  of  conquering  Bambouk,  wdiich  he  undertook  to 
do  with  twelve  hundred  men ;  but  such  a  degree  of  apathy 
prevailed  at  home  that  none  of  his  propositions  made  any 
impression.     Subsequent  governors,  however,  directed  their 


82  The  Flaming  Torch 

attention  to  the  same  subject,  but  no  attempt  was  ultimately- 
made  either  to  conquer  or  to  form  settlements  in  that  part 
of  Africa. 

It  is  in  the  most  arid  and  dreary  spot  of  this  gloomy 
region  that  the  gold  is  found,  and  then  there  is  by  no 
means  the  golden  treasure  reported.  "  In  the  mine  of 
Natakon,"  one  traveler  relates,  "  the  ore  is  mixed  with  earth, 
from  which  the  precious  dust  is  extracted  by  continued 
agitation  in  water ;  or  it  adheres  to  fragments  of  iron, 
emery,  and  lapis  lazuli,  from  which  it  is  easily  detached. 
In  the  mine  of  Semayla,  on  the  contrary,  it  is  embedded  in 
hard  reddish  loam,  mixed  with  other  substances  still  harder, 
from  which  it  can  be  extracted  only  by  reducing  the  ore  to 
powder.  The  natives  effect  this  by  pounding  them  with 
a  pestle  of  hard  wood,  which  is  soon  worn  away  by  the  re- 
sistance of  the  mineral  substances.  This  mine,  therefore, 
though  richer  than  the  other,  is  less  valuable.  The  Farims, 
who  are  absolute  chiefs  of  Bambouk,  allow  the  mining 
operations  only  at  certain  seasons,  when  they  themselves 
attend  to  make  a  tax  on  the  proceeds.  Two  men,  or  two 
women,  for  they  are  both  employed  in  this  occupation,  dig 
out  the  earth  or  other  substances,  which  they  hand  to  those 
who  are  to  extract  the  gold  from  it.  This  metal  they  imag- 
ine to  be  a  capricious  being,  who  delights  to  make  sport  of 
their  eager  pursuit,  and  when  they  find  a  rich  vein  suddenly 
become  unproductive  they  call  out,  '  He  is  off.'  The  pits 
or  shafts,  by  means  of  ladders,  are  carried  down  with  per- 
pendicular sides,  which  often  fall  in  and  bury  the  unfortunate 
workmen.  This,  however,  does  not  distress  the  survivors. 
They  believe  that  the  devil,  or  a  certain  subterranean  deity, 
having  occasion  for  laborers  to  conduct  his  own  operations 
underneath,  seizes  the  best  miners  he  can  find  on  the  surface. 
Neither  do  they  feel  the  least  surprise,  though  they  cannot 
conceal  their  regret,  when  in  the  course  of  working  they 
find  the  skeletons  of  the  victims.  The  devil,  they  fancy, 
has  found  himself  mistaken  in  his  choice  and  rudely  thrown 
the  victims  back  to  the  place  whence  he  had  taken  them." 


The  Dahoman  Type 

{Collect ion  of  Prr'ncf  Rolnnii  Hoiiaf-arte) 


In  Darkest  Africa  85 

The  prosperity  of  the  French  settlements  on  the  Senegal 
was  principally  derived  from  the  gum  trade,  of  which  Gol- 
berry  has  given  a  lively  description.  To  the  north  of  this 
river,  where  its  fertile  borders  pass  through  the  boundless 
deserts  of  the  Sahara,  grow  large  forests  of  that  species  of 
acacia  from  which  gum  is  distilled.  It  is  crooked  and 
stunted,  resembling  rather  a  bush  or  shrub  than  a  tree.  No 
incision  is  necessary,  for  under  the  influence  of  the  hot 
winds  the  bark  dries  and  cracks  in  various  places.  The 
liquor  exudes,  but  by  its  tenacity  remains  attached  in  the 
form  of  drops,  which  are  as  clear  and  transparent  as  the  finest 
rock  crystal.  The  Moorish  tribes,  to  whom  these  woods 
belong,  about  the  beginning  of  December  leave  their  desert 
encampments  and  proceed  to  the  gum  district  in  a  great 
crowd,  those  who  have  means  being  mounted  on  horses 
and  camels,  while  those  who  have  not  make  the  journey  on 
foot.  After  the  material  is  gathered  it  is  conveyed  to  the 
great  fair  held  annually  on  the  banks  of  the  Senegal. 

While  the  remotest  extremities  of  land  and  sea  in  other 
quarters  of  the  globe  had  been  reached  by  European  en- 
terprise the  greater  part  of  Africa  still  remained  toward  the 
close  of  the  eighteenth  century  an  unseemly  blank  on  the 
map  of  the  earth,  a  circumstance  discreditable  to  a  great 
maritime  and  commercial  nation  like  Great  Britain  as  well 
as  to  the  sciences  upon  which  the  extension  of  geographical 
knowledge  depends. 

Of  the  greater  states  in  the  interior  of  the  country  Da- 
homey was  the  first  penetrated  by  Europeans.  The  hor- 
rible barbarities  practiced  there  were  already  the  talk  of 
civilized  nations.  In  1772  Mr.  Norris  undertook  a  journey 
there  in  order  to  study  the  character  of  the  king  and  to 
make  arrangements  for  the  benefit  of  the  English  trade. 
He  gives  a  favorable  account  of  his  journey,  and  describes 
the  country  as  abounding  in  tropical  productions. 

Mr.  McLeod,  during  his  residence  at  Whidah  in  1 803, 
found  the  country  still  groaning  under  the  cruel  effects  of 
Dahoman   tyranny.      He   particularly   deplores  the  case  of 


86  The  Flam-ing  Torch 

Sally  Abson,  daughter  of  an  English  governor  (who  married 
a  native  female),  who,  trained  in  all  European  accomplish- 
ments, added  to  them  the  most  engaging  simplicity  of  man- 
ners. Suddenly  she  disappeared,  and  Mr.  McLeod's  eager 
inquiries  were  met  by  a  mysterious  silence  ;  all  hung  down 
their  heads  confused  and  terrified.  At  length  an  old  do- 
mestic whispered  to  him  that  a  party  of  the  king's  half- 
heads  (as  his  messengers  are  termed)  had  carried  her  off  in 
the  night  to  be  enrolled  among  the  number  of  his  wives, 
and  warned  him  not  to  utter  a  word  of  complaint. 

In  1794  two  daring  travelers,  named  Watt  and  Winter- 
bottom,  ascended  the  Rio  Nunez  to  Kakundy  and  made 
an  excursion  to  Foota  Jallo,  the  principal  state  of  the 
southern  Foulahs.  This  people,  who  profess  the  Moham- 
medan religion,  are  orderly  and  well  instructed,  display 
skill  in  working  mines  of  iron  and  in  carrying  on  the 
manufacture  of  cloth,  leather,  and  other  African  fabrics. 
Caravans  of  five  hundred  or  six  hundred  Foulahs  were  often 
met,  carrying  on  their  heads  loads  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
pounds  weight.  The  article  chiefly  sought  after  is  salt, 
which  the  children  suck  as  ours  do  sugar  ;  and  it  is  com- 
mon to  describe  a  rich  man  by  saying  he  eats  salt.  The  two 
principal  towns,  Laby  and  Teemboo,  were  found  to  contain, 
respectively,  five  thousand  and  seven  thousand  inhabitants. 
The  king  could  muster  sixteen  thousand  troops.  These  he 
employed  in  war  against  twenty-four  pagan  nations  on  the 
outskirts  of  his  territory,  chiefly  with  the  view  of  procuring 
slaves  for  the  market  on  the  coast.  When  the  travelers 
represented  to  him  the  iniquity  of  this  course  he  replied, 
"  The  people  with  whom  we  go  to  war  never  pray  to  God  ; 
we  never  go  to  war  with  people  who  pray  to  God  Almighty." 
As  they  urged  that  in  a  case  of  common  humanity  this 
ought  to  make  no  distinction,  he  quoted  passages  from  the 
Koran  commanding  the  faithful  to  make  war  on  unbelievers. 
They  took  the  liberty  to  insinuate  that  these  might  be  in- 
terpolations of  the  devil,  but  found  it  impossible  to  shake 
his  reliance  on  their  authenticity. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


87 


CHAPTER  VI 

An  African  Association 

URING  the  early  part  of  1788  a  body  of 
spirited  men  formed  themselves  into  what 
was  termed  the  African  Association. 
They  subscribed  the  necessary  funds,  and 
sought  out  individuals  who  were  properly 
qualified  and  had  the  necessary  courage 
to  undertake  difficult  and  dangerous 
missions.  A  committee  composed  of 
Lord  Rawdon,  afterward  Marquis  of 
Hastings,  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  the  Bishop  of  Landaff,  Mr. 
Beaufoy,  and  Mr.  Stuart  were  nominated  managers.  It 
seemed  scarcely  probable  that  the  offer  to  defray  travel- 
ing expenses,  which  was  all  the  society's  finances  could  af- 
ford, should  induce  persons  with  the  requisite  qualifications 
to  engage  in  journeys  of  such  a  character,  yet,  be  it  recorded 
to  the  native  pluck  of  Britons,  more  men  presented  them- 
selves than  the  society  could  receive,  and  all  were  eminently 
fitted  for  the  task. 

The  first  man  selected  was  Mr.  Ledyard,  born  a  traveler, 
who  had  spent  his  early  life  in  journeying  froin  one  extrem- 
ity of  the  earth  to  another.  He  had  sailed  round  the  world 
with  Captain  Cook,  had  lived  for  several  years  among  the 
American  Indians,  and  had  made  a  journey  with  the  most 
scanty  means  from  Stockholm  round  the  Gulf  of  Bothnia, 
and  thence  to  the  remotest  parts  of  Asiatic  Russia.  On  his 
return  he  presented  himself  to  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  to  whom 
he  owed  many  obligations,  just  as  that  eminent  person  was 
looking  out  for  an  African  explorer.  He  immediately  pro- 
nounced Ledyard  to  be  the  very  man  he  wanted.  Ledyard 
declared  this  scheme  to  be  quite  in  unison  with  his  own 
wishes,  and  on  being  asked  how  soon  he  could  set  out,  re- 


8.8  The  Flaming  Torch 

plied,  "  To-morrow."  Affairs  were  not  yet  quite  so  ma- 
tured ;  but  he  was  soon  after  provided  with  a  passage  to 
Alexandria,  with  the  view  of  first  proceeding  southward 
from  Cairo  to  Sennaar,  and  thence  traversing  the  entire 
breadth  of  the  African  continent.  He  arrived  at  Cairo  on 
the  19th  of  August,  1788,  and  while  preparing  for  his  jour- 
ney into  the  interior  transmitted  some  bold,  original,  though 
somewhat  fanciful  observations  upon  Egypt.  He  represents 
the  delta  as  an  unbounded  plain  of  excellent  land  miserably 
cultivated  ;  the  villages  as  wretched  assemblages  of  mud 
huts,  full  of  dust,  fleas,  flies,  and  all  the  curses  of  Moses; 
and  the  people  as  below  the  rank  of  any  savages  he  ever 
saw,  wearing  only  a  blue  shirt  and  drawers,  and  tattooed  as 
much  as  the  South  Sea  Islanders.  He  bids  his  correspond- 
ents, if  they  wish  to  see  Egyptian  women,  to  look  at  any 
group  of  gypsies.  The  Mohammedans  he  describes  as  a 
trading,  enterprising,  superstitious,  warlike  set  of  vagabonds, 
who,  wherever  they  are  bent  upon  going,  will  and  do  go ; 
but  he  complains  that  the  condition  of  a  Frank  is  rendered 
most  humiliating  and  distressing  by  the  furious  bigotry  of 
the  Turks.  "  It  seems  inconceivable,"  said  he,  "  that  such 
enmity  should  exist  among  men,  and  that  beings  of  the 
same  species  should  think  and  act  in  a  manner  so  opposite." 
By  conversing  with  the  jelabs,  or  slave  merchants,  he  learned 
much  respecting  the  caravan  routes  and  countries  of  the  in- 
terior. Everything  seemed  ready  for  his  departure,  and  he 
announced  that  his  next  communication  would  be  from  Sen- 
naar ;  alas  !  while  man  proposes  God  disposes,  and,  on  the 
contrary,  the  first  tidings  received  were  those  of  his  death. 
Some  delays  in  the  departure  of  the  caravan  working  upon 
his  impatient  spirit  brought  on  a  bilious  complaint,  for  which 
he  neglected  to  take  skillful  medical  advice  in  time.  He 
soon  became  reduced  to  a  state  from  which  the  care  of  Ros- 
setti,  the  Venetian  consul,  and  the  skill  of  the  best  physi- 
cians of  Cairo,  when  called  in  at  last,  sought  in  vain  to  de- 
liver him. 

Mr.  Lucas,  a  gentleman  who  had   been   captured    in    his 


In  Darkest  Africa  89 

youth  by  a  Sallee  rover  and  held  for  three  years  a  slave  at 
the  court  of  Morocco,  and  after  his  deliverance  had  been 
employed  as  vice  consul  in  that  empire,  was  the  next  ad- 
venturous spirit  chosen  by  the  African  Company.  He  had 
already  spent  sixteen  years  in  Africa  and  had  acquired  an 
intimate  knowledi^e  of  the  country  and  its  languages,  and 
was  therefore  peculiarly  well  prepared  for  the  task.  He  was 
sent  out  by  way  of  Tripoli,  with  instructions  to  accompany 
the  caravan  journeying  from  that  city,  which  is  understood 
to  take  the  most  direct  route  into  the  interior  of  the  conti- 
nent. Being  provided  with  letters  from  the  ambassador  at 
Tripoli,  he  obtained  the  bey's  permission  and  even  promises 
of  assistance  for  this  expedition.  At  the  same  time  he  made 
an  arrangement  with  two  Shereefs,  or  descendants  of  the 
prophet,  under  which  character  their  persons  are  sacred,  to 
join  a  caravan  of  which  they  intended  to  make  a  part.  He  pro- 
ceeded with  them  to  Mesurata  ;  but  the  Arabs  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, being  in  a  state  of  rebellion,  refused  to  furnish 
camels  and  guides.  Mr.  Lucas  was  therefore  obliged  to  re- 
turn to  Tripoli  without  having  been  able  to  penetrate  farther 
into  the  continent.  He  learned,  however,  from  Imhammcd, 
one  of  the  Shereefs,  who  had  been  an  extensive  traveler,  a 
variety  of  particulars  about  the  interior.  The  society  had  at 
the  same  time  made  incisive  inquiries  of  Ben  Ali,  a  Mo- 
rocco caravan  trader  who  happened  to  be  in  London.  From 
these  two  sources  they  were  able  to  form  a  new  map  with 
description  of  central  Africa,  which,  although  very  imper- 
fect, was  superior  to  any  that  existed.  Bornou  and  Kashna 
were  considered  the  most  powerful  states  in  that  part  of  the 
continent,  and  formed  even  empires  holding  sway  over  a  num- 
ber of  tributary  kingdoms,  but  affairs  have  greatly  changed 
since  that  time.  Several  extensive  routes  across  the  desert 
were  also  delineated,  and  the  caravan  from  Kashna  crossed 
the  Niger  and  visited  important  kingdoms  beyond  the  gold 
coast. 

In  regard  to  the  Niger  a  report  of  Imhammed  revived  the 
error    which    represented    that    river   as    flowing   westward 


90  The  Flaming  Torch 

toward  the  Atlantic.  The  Niger  of  Ben  All  was  the  Quar- 
rama,  or  river  of  Zirmie,  which  flows  westward  through 
Kashna  and  Sackatoo,  and  is  only  a  tributary  of  the  Niger. 
He  described  the  stream  as  very  broad  and  rapid,  probably 
from  having  seen  it  during  the  rainy  season,  when  all  the 
tropical  rivers  assume  an  imposing  appearance. 

The  next  expedition  was  made  by  Major  Houghton,  a 
former  consul  at  Morocco,  and  afterward  a  military  officer 
at  Goree.  He  endeavored  to  reach  the  Niger  by  the  route 
of  the  Gambia,  traveling  alone  by  land.  He  seems  to  have 
been  a  man  of  very  sanguine  and  active  nature,  and  prepared 
to  undertake  the  boldest  enterprises,  but  lacking  that  cool 
and  calculating  temper  which  is  necessary  for  him  who  en- 
deavors to  make  his  way  amid  scenes  of  peril  and  treachery. 
He  began  his  journey  early  in  1791,  and  soon  reached  Me- 
dina, the  capital  of  Woolli,  where  the  venerable  chief  received 
him  with  extreme  kindness,  promised  to  furnish  guides,  and 
assured  him  that  he  might  go  to  Timbuctoo  with  only  his 
staff  in  his  hand.  The  only  evil  that  befell  him  at  Medina 
arose  from  a  fire  which  broke  out  there,  and,  spreading  rapidly 
through  the  flimsy  buildings,  converted  a  town  of  a  thousand 
houses  into  a  heap  of  ashes  within  an  hour.  Major  Hough- 
ton was  compelled  to  run  out  with  the  rest  of  the  people  into 
the  fields,  saving  only  such  few  articles  as  he  could  easily 
carry.  Quitting  the  Gambia,  he  took  the  road  through  Bam- 
bouk,  and  arrived  at  Ferbanna  on  the  Faleme.  Here  he  was 
received  with  the  most  extraordinary  kindness  by  the  king, 
who  gave  him  a  guide  and  money  to  defray  his  expenses. 
A  note  was  afterward  received  from  him,  dated  Simbing, 
which  contained  merely  these  words :  "  Major  Houghton's 
compliments  to  Dr.  Laidley;  is  in  good  health  on  his  way 
to  Timbuctoo ;  robbed  of  all  his  goods  by  Fenda  Bucar's 
son."  This  was  the  last  communication  from  him,  for  soon 
afterward  the  Negroes  brought  down  to  Pisania  the  melan- 
choly tidings  of  his  death,  of  which  Mungo  Park  subsequently 
learned  the  particulars.  Some  Moors  had  persuaded  the 
major  to  accompany  them  to  Tisheet,  a  place  in  the  Great 


Negress  of  the  Upper  Niger 


In  Darkest  Africa  93 

Desert,  known  on  account  of  its  saltmines.  In  aUuring  him 
thither  their  object,  as  appears  from  the  result,  was  to  rob 
him  ;  for  it  was  very  much  out  of  the  direct  route  to  Timbuc- 
too.  Of  this  in  a  few  days  he  became  sensible  and  insisted 
upon  returninij  ;  but  they  would  not  peiniit  him  to  leave 
their  party  until  after  they  had  stripped  him  of  every  article 
in  his  possession.  He  wandered  about  for  some  time  through 
the  desert  without  food  or  shelter,  and  at  length,  utterly  ex- 
hausted, he  kiy  down  under  a  tree  and  died. 

Mr.  Barrow,  in  1797,  while  private  secretary  to  Lord 
Macartney,  made  a  tour  through  the  Cape  territory,  com- 
municated more  important  information  than  any  of  his  pred- 
ecessors, and  exhibited  for  the  first  time  a  view  of  the  social 
condition  of  the  natives. 

After  returning  to  Graaf-Reynet,  Barrow  passed  across  the 
Great  Karroo,  or  desert,  covered  with  scanty  and  useless 
vegetation,  yet  ostriches,  springboks,  and  other  wild  ani- 
mals were  found  there  roaming  in  large  herds,  and  most 
beautiful  flowers  growing  amid  the  sand.  He  then  came 
to  the  borders  of  the  Sneuwberg,  or  Snow  Mountains,  the 
streams  from  which  cover  an  extensive  district  with  luxuriant 
herbage.  The  colonists  there  are  kept  in  a  state  of  greater 
activity  than  elsewhere  by  the  dread  of  wild  beasts,  and  of 
the  still  wilder  race  of  Bosjesman  Hottentots,  whose  kraals 
occupy  the  intermediate  valleys.  They  pursue  and  hunt 
down  these  unhappy  creatures  as  if  they  were  the  natural 
enemies  of  the  human  race.  These  savages,  in  their  turn, 
carry  off  all  the  cattle  they  can  find,  and  put  to  a  cruel  death 
everyone  who  falls  into  their  hands,  whether  he  be  Dutch 
or  native. 

In  1 801  an  expedition  was  undertaken  by  two  travelers 
named  Trutterand  Somerville,  with  a  view  of  obtaining  a  sup- 
ply of  cattle  from  the  more  remote  districts.  Having  passed 
the  Snow  Mountains  and  the  country  of  the  Bosjesman,  they 
came  to  the  Orange  River,  a  broad  stream  flowing  westward 
to  the  Atlantic,  and  on  the  banks  of  which  were  the  Koras, 
or  Kcirannas,  a  pastoral   people  with  numerous  herds.     The 


94  The  Flaming  Torch 

information  here  received  induced  them  to  proceed  into  the 
country  of  the  Bechuanas,  which  continued  to  improve  as 
they  advanced,  till,  to  their  utter  surprise,  in  the  midst  of 
these  savage  wildernesses  of  southern  Africa  they  found  a 
large  city.  Lattakoo  was  composed  of  two  or  three  thou- 
sand houses,  neatly  and  commodiously  built,  well  inclosed, 
and  shaded  from  the  sun  by  the  spreading  branches  of  the 
mimosa.  The  country  around  was  not  only  covered  with 
numerous  herds,  but  showed  considerable  signs  of  cultiva- 
tion. The  king,  a  venerable  man,  invited  them  to  his  house 
and  introduced  them  to  his  two  wives.  The  travelers  met 
everywhere  a  kind  and  hospitable  reception,  and  were  the 
objects  of  an  eager  but  friendly  curiosity.  Their  report,  in 
fact,  encouraged  the  idea  that  the  golden  age  had  once  more 
revived  in  the  center  of  Africa. 

The  Cape  government  afterward  undertook  to  follow  up 
this  discovery.  Lord  Caledown  sent  Dr.  Cowan  and  Lieu- 
tenant Denovan,  at  the  head  of  a  party  of  twenty  men,  with 
instructions  to  strike  across  the  continent  in  a  southeastern 
direction,  and,  by  endeavoring  to  reach  Mozambique,  to  con- 
nect the  two  great  points  of  African  geography.  The  trav- 
elers passed  Lattakoo,  and  accounts  were  received  from 
them  nearly  eleven  days'  journey  beyond  it,  when  they  were 
in  the  midst  of  a  richer  and  more  beautiful  country  than 
they  had  yet  seen  in  southern  Africa.  A  long  and  anxious 
interval  had  elapsed  when  the  governor  sent  a  fast-sailing 
vessel  to  Sofala  and  Mozambique,  the  captain  of  which  was 
informed  that  the  expedition  had  come  to  a  most  disastrous 
issue.  It  was  stated  that  the  party,  having  arrived  in  the 
dominions  of  the  King  of  Zaire,  between  Inhambane  and 
Sofala,  had  been  attacked  in  the  night  and  all  cut  to  pieces, 
with  the  exception  of  two  individuals.  Mr.  Campbell  was 
afterward  assured  that  the  catastrophe  had  taken  place 
among  the  Wanketzens,  a  nation  immediately  beyond  Lat- 
takoo, where  the  travelers,  trusting  to  the  friendly  behavior 
and  professions  of  the  people,  had  neglected  the  most  com- 
mon precautions.     The   officers  went  to   bathe,  leaving  one 


In  Darkest  Africa 


95 


party  in  charge  of  the  wagons  and  another  to  guard  the 
cattle.  ThusspHt  into  three  divisions  they  were  successively 
attacked  and  destroyed  by  the  treacherous  barbarians. 

Dr.  Henry  Lichtenstein,  after  surveying  several  of  the 
Cape  districts,  extended  his  jouiney  to  the  territory  of  this 
people,  accompanied  by  one  of  the  natives,  named  Kok,  who 
had  been  for  some  time  absent  from  his  country.  The  first 
party  w^hom  they  met  accosted  them  with  such  demonstra- 
tions of  kindness  and  cordiality  as  impressed  our  traveler 
with  the  most  favorable  opinion  of  their  character  and  re- 
lieved some  apprehensions  under  which  he  had  labored.  The 
inhabitants  of  the  first  village  at  which  they  arrived  received 
them  in  a  manner  quite  frank  and  hospitable,  though  they 
showed  great  eagerness  to  obtain  a  supply  of  tobacco. 
Crossing  the  river  Kuruhman  and  proceeding  by  a  winding 
path  through  a  noble  forest,  they  reached  Lattakoo.  Lichten- 
stein intended  to  proceed  much  farther  into  the  interior,  but 
his  views  were  changed  by  a  proposal  earnestly  pressed  vpon 
him  by  the  king  to  accompany,  and  assist  with  his  fire- 
arms, an  expedition  which  his  majesty  was  about  to  under- 
take against  his  neighbor,  Makkrakka.  Finding  that  he  could 
not  remain  without  involving  himself  in  the  deadly  feuds  of 
these  African  chiefs,  he  decided  to  return  to  the  colony, 
much  to  the  king's  annoyance. 


The  Leopard 


96 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER    VII 
Mungo  Park 

N  the  22d  of  May,  1795,  the  famous 
Scotch  doctor,  Mungo  Park,  sailed 
from  Portsmouth  under  the  auspices 
of  the  British  African  Association, 
and  arrived  at  JilHfree,  on  the  Gam- 
bia, June  21,  He  then  proceeded  to 
Pisania,  in  the  fertile  kingdom  of 
Yani,  where  he  was  detained  five 
months  by  illness  at  the  home  of 
Dr.  Laidley.  While  suffering  from 
the  climatic  fever  he  learned  the  Mandingo  language  and 
obtained  considerable  information  from  the  Negro  traders 
about  the  interior  countries.  The  river  Gambia  at  this  sta- 
tion was  deep  and  muddy,  overshadowed  with  impenetrable 
thickets  of  mangrove  and  filled  with  crocodiles  and  hippo- 
potami. 

On  the  2d  of  December  Park  took  his  departure,  accom- 
panied only  by  a  few  Negroes.  On  the  5th  he  arrived  at 
Medina,  and  was  received  by  the  king  with  the  same  hos- 
pitality he  had  shown  to  Major  Houghton,  but  was  earnestly 
exhorted  to  take  warning  from  the  fate  of  Houghton  and  go 
no  farther.  But  Park  was  not  to  be  discouraged.  He 
thanked  the  king,  but  expressed  his  determination  to  pro- 
ceed through  the  great  forest  which  separates  that  country 
from  Bondou.  In  two  days  he  had  passed  through  the 
forest  and  arrived  at  Bondou,  a  fine  country,  watered  by  the 
Faleme.  He  had  soon,  however,  to  encounter  the  perils 
which  awaited  every  defenseless  traveler  who,  loaded  with 
valuable goods.passed  through  asuccessionof  petty  kingdoms 
where  law  is  unknown.  At  Fatteconda,  which  he  reached 
on  the  2 1st  of  December,  he  was   compelled   to  wait  upon 


In  Darkest  Africa  97 

Almami,  the  king,  wlio  had  ah'cady  disgraced  himself  by  the 
plunder  of  Major  Houghton,  Park  possessed  a  new  blue 
coat,  which  he  wished  to  preserve,  and  thought  the  safest 
way  to  do  so  would  be  to  wear  it,  not  caring  to  believe  that 
this  thieving  king  would  strip  it  off  his  back.  However, 
after  the  introductory  ceremonial,  the  royrfl  thief  began  a 
flattering  story  about  the  wealth  and  generosity  of  the 
whites,  and  gradually  proceeded  to  the  praises  of  the  coat 
and  its  yellow  buttons,  concluding  by  expressing  the  great 
pleasure  he  should  take  in  wearing  it  for  the  sake  of  his 
guest.  He  did  not  add  that  if  these  hints  were  disregarded 
it  would  be  seized  by  force  ;  but  our  traveler,  being  thor- 
ouglily  convinced  that  such  was  his  intention,  took  off  the 
coat  and  humbly  requested  his  majesty  to  accept  it  as  a 
present.  The  king  accepted  the  coat,  but  abstained  from 
further  plunder  and  introduced  Park  as  a  curiosity  to  his 
family  circle.  The  ladies,  after  careful  survey,  approved  of 
his  external  appearance,  with  the  exception  of  the  two  de- 
formities of  a  white  skin  and  a  high  nose,  but  for  these  they 
made  ample  allowance,  saying  that  his  mother  had  bathed 
him  in  milk  when  young,  and  by  pinching  his  nose  had  ele- 
vated it  into  its  present  absurd  height.  Park  flattered  them 
on  their  jet-black  skins  and  beautifully  flattened  noses,  but 
was  modestly  warned  that  "  honey-mouth"  was  not  esteemed 
in  Bondou. 

No  sooner  had  he  arrived  at  Joag,  in  Kajaaga,  than  a 
party  from  the  king,  Bacheri,  surrounded  him  and  declared 
his  property  forfeited  because  he  had  entered  the  country 
without  payment  of  duties.  He  was  stripped  of  all  his  goods 
except  a  small  portion  which  he  managed  to  conceal.  Un- 
able to  procure  food,  he  was  sitting,  disconsolate  and  hun- 
gry, under  a  bentang  tree,  when  an  old  female  slave  came 
up  and  asked  him  if  he  wanted  food.  He  told  her  that  he 
had  been  robbed  of  everything  and  was  hungry ;  then  she 
gave  him  several  handfuls  of  nuts  and  went  away  before  he 
could   thank    her.     Demba   Sego,  nephew   to  the  King  of 

Kasson,  who  happened  to  be  then   at  Joag  endeavoring  to 
7 


98 


The  Flaming  Torch 


negotiate  a  peace  between  his  uncle  and  Bacheri,  who  were 
at  variance,  now  undertook  to  guide  him  into  that  country, 
and  did  so,  but  exacted  half  of  Park's  remaining  stock.  At 
Kooniakary,  the  capital,  our  traveler  was  well  received  by 
the  king  and  forwarded  to  Kemmoo,  the  principal  town  of 
Kaarta.  Daisy,  the  sovereign  of  Kaarta,  likewise  received 
him  with  kindness,  but  on  learning  his  intention  of  taking 
the  route  to  Timbuctoo  through  Bambarra  he  stated  this  to 
be  impossible,  as  he  himself  was  then  at  war  with  the  latter 
kingdom,  and  assured  him  that  he  would  at  once  be  killed 
if  he  attempted  to  enter  into  it  from  Kaarta.  There  re- 
mained, therefore,  no   alternative   but   to  go  by  way  of  the 


Timbuctoo  from  the  East 


Moorish  kingdom  of  Ludamar,  a  perilous  and  fatal  route,  in 
which  Major  Houghton  had  already  perished. 

Park,  however,  hoped,  by  proceeding  along  the  southern 
frontier,  to  reach  Bambarra  without  coming  much  in  contact 
with  the  barbarous  and  bigoted  Moors.  On  his  arrival  at 
Jarra,  a  large  town  chiefly  inhabited  by  Negroes,  but  entirely 
underthe  power  of  the  Moors,he  sent  a  messenger  to  Benowm, 
the  capital,  with  presents,  to  negotiate  with  Ali,  their  chief, 
for  a  passage  through  his  territories.  After  waiting  a  fort- 
night in  great  anxiety  he  received  a  safe  conduct  to  Goombo, 
a  place  on  the  frontier  of  Bambarra.  He  first  proceeded  to 
Deena,  a  town  in  the  possession  of  the  Moors,  who  grossly 
insulted  and  plundered  him  of  almost  everything  he  had 
and  made  him  a  prisoner,  but  he  managed  to  escape. 


In  Darkest  Africa  99 

He  next  passed  through  Sampaka  and  DalH,  where  he 
was  received  b\'  the  Negro  inhabitants  with  kindness  and 
hospitality.  At  Sami,  on  the  7th  of  March,  a  party  of  Moorish 
horsemen  appeared,  for  the  purpose  of  telling  him  that 
Fatima,  the  favorite  wife  of  AH,  had  been  struck  with 
curiosity  to  see  wliat  kind  of  creature  a  Christian  was  ;  that 
he  must  therefore  come  and  sliow  himself;  but  was  assured 
that  he  would  be  well  treated,  and  on  satisfying  her  majesty's 
wish  would  even  be  forwarded  on  his  journey. 

Benowm,  the  Moorish  capital,  to  which  Park  was  then 
conveyed,  proved  to  be  a  mere  camp  composed  of  a  number 
of  dirty  tents,  intermingled  with  herds  of  camels,  horses,  and 
oxen.  He  was  surrounded  by  crowds  actuated  partly  by 
curiosity  and  partly  by  that  malignant  feeling  which  always 
influences  the  ]\Ioors  against  the  Christians.  They  snatched 
off  his  hat,  made  him  unbutton  his  clothes  to  show  the 
whiteness  of  his  skin,  and  counted  his  fingers  and  toes  to 
see  if  he  were  really  of  the  same  nature  with  themselves. 
After  being  kept  for  some  time  in  the  sun,  he  was  lodged 
in  a  hut  made  of  cornstalks,  supported  by  posts,  to  one  of 
which  was  tied  a  wild  hog,  evidently  in  derision,  and  to  in- 
timate that  they  were  fit  associates  for  each  other.  "  The 
hog,  indeed,  would  have  been  the  most  harmless  part  of  the 
affair,"  says  Park,  "had  not  idle  boys  taken  delight  in 
torinenting  and  working  up  the  animal  to  a  constant  state 
of  fury,"  Crowds  of  men  and  women  incessantly  poured  in 
to  see  the  white  man,  and  he  was  obliged  to  continue  the 
whole  day  buttoning  and  unbuttoning  his  clothes  to  show 
his  skin  and  the  European  manner  of  dressing  and  undress- 
ing. When  curiosity  was  satisfied,  the  next  amusement  was 
to  plague  him,  and  he  became  the  sport  of  the  meanest  and 
most  vulgar  members  of  this  rude  community.  The  Moor- 
ish horsemen  took  him  out  and  galloped  around  him  as  if 
he  had  been  a  wild  beast,  twirling  their  swords  in  his  face 
to  show  their  skill  in  horsemanship.  Repeated  attempts 
were  made  to  compel  him  to  work.  One  of  Ali's  sons  de- 
sired   him   to  mend   the   lock  of  a  double-barreled  gun,  and 


100 


The   Flaming  Torch 


could  scarcely  believe  that  all  Europeans  were  not  gun- 
smiths. He  was  also  installed  as  barber,  and  directed  to 
shave  the  head  of  a  young  prince  ;  but  not  relishing  this 
function,  he  contrived  to  give  his  highness  such  a  cut  that 
Ali  discharged  him  as  incapable.  The  chief,  under  pretense 
of  securing  him  against  depredation,  seized  for  himself  the 
little  that  remained  of  the  traveler's  property.  Having  ex- 
amined the  instruments,  he  was  greatly  astonished  at  the 
compass,  and  particularly  because  it  always  pointed  toward 
the  Great  Desert.  Park,  thinking  it  vain  to  attempt  any 
scientific  exposition,  said  that  its  direction  was  always  to 
the  place  where  his  mother  dwelt  ;  whereupon  Ali,  struck 
with  superstitious  dread,  desired  it  to  be  taken  away. 

Park's  suffering  were  all  the  more  severe  from  the  very 
scanty  measure  of  food  with  which  he  was  supplied.  At 
midnight  only  he  received  a  small  mess  of  houshous  not 
nearly  enough  to  satisfy  his  nature.  True,  he  had  been  in- 
vited to  kill  and  dress  his  companion,  the  hog  ;  but  this  he 
considered  as  a  snare,  believing  that  the  Mohammedans,  had 
they  seen  him  feasting  on  this  impure  and  hated  flesh, 
would  have  murdered  him  on  the  spot.  As  the  dry  season 
advanced  water  became  scarce,  and  only  a  very  limited 
quantity  was  allowed  to  reach  the  infidel,  who  thus  endured 
the  pangs  of  the  most  tormenting  thirst.  On  one  occasion 
a  Moor  who  was  drawing  water  for  his  cows  yielded  to  his 
earnest  entreaty  that  he  might  put  the  bucket  to  his  mouth, 
then,  struck  with  sudden  alarm  at  such  a  profanation  of  the 
vessel,  seized  it  and  poured  the  liquid  into  the  trough,  de- 
siring him  to  share  with  the  cattle.  Park,  overcoming  his 
pride,  plunged  his  head  into  the  water,  and  enjoyed  the 
draught. 

Even  during  this  dreadful  time  Park  contrived  to  obtain 
some  information.  The  rudest  of  his  tormentors  took  pleas- 
ure in  teaching  him  Arabic  characters  by  tracing  them  upon 
the  sand.  Two  Mohammedan  travelers  came  to  Benowm, 
from  whom  he  learned  routes  to  Morocco,  Walet,  and  Tim- 
buctoo  ;  but  they  gave  the  most  discouraging   report   as  to 


H.   BUCHER 

B.   P.  80 

LIBREVILLE 

GABON 


Drawing  Water  from  the  Nile 


In  Darkest  Africa  103 

the  prospects  of  reachintj  the  latter  city.  He  was  made  to 
understand  that  it  would  not  be  safe  for  him  as  the  Moors 
there  were  the  masters,  and  viewed  all  Christians  as  children 
of  the  devil  and  enemies  of  the  prophet. 

Fatima,  the  wite  of  Ali,  was  absent  at  this  time  and  not 
likely  to  arrive,  and  the  hatred  of  the  Moors  by  whom  Park 
was  surrounded  became  daily  more  embittered.  Some  of 
them  even  proposed  that  he  should  be  condemned  to  death, 
though  Ali's  sons  only  recommended  that  his  eyes  be  put 
out  because  they  resembled  those  of  a  cat.  Hereupon  he 
began  seriously  to  consider  the  possibility  of  escape;  but, 
besides  being  closely  watched,  the  desert,  he  knew,  was  so 
entirely  destitute  of  water  that  he  must  have  perished  on 
the  road  with  thirst.  He  was  therefore  obliged  to  await  the 
rainy  season,  however  unfavorable  it  might  be  for  traveling 
through  the  Negro  territories. 

On  the  30th  of  April,  Ali,  having  occasion  to  remove  his 
quarters,  came  to  Bubaker,  the  residence  of  Fatima,  and 
Park  was  introduced  to  that  princess.  The  beauty  of  a 
Moorish  female  is  measured  entirely  by  her  circumference; 
and  to  bestow  this  grace  on  their  daughters  the  mothers 
feed  them  with  enormous  quantities  of  milk  and  houshous, 
the  swallowing  of  w'hich  is  enforced  even  with  blows,  till 
they  attain  that  acme  of  beauty  which  makes  them  a  good 
load  for  a  camel.  The  dimensions  by  which  P'atima  had 
captivated  her  royal  lover  were  enormous.  She  had  pro- 
nounced Arab  features  and  long  black  hair  and  mild,  black 
eyes.  This  queen  at  first  shrank  with  horror  from  behold- 
ing a  Christian,  but  after  awhile  she  began  to  see  nothing  so 
different  about  him  from  the  rest  of  mankind  and  even  asked 
him  many  questions.  She  also  gave  him  a  bowl  of  milk, 
and  continued  to  show  him  the  only  kindness  he  met  with 
during  this  dreadful  captivity.  At  length  she  induced  Ali 
to  take  him  to  Jarra.  Park  was  grateful  to  her  for  this, 
as  he  hoped  to  find  means  there  to  enable  him  to  proceed 
on  his  journey. 

Arrived  at  Jarra  new  difficulties  arose  of  an  entirely  differ- 


104  The  Flaming  Torch 

ent  character.  AH,  through  avarice,  had  involved  himself 
in  a  quarrel  between  the  monarchs  of  Kaarta  and  Bambarra, 
and  news  arrived  that  Daisy,  the  King  of  Kaarta,  was  in  full 
march  to  attack  the  town.  The  troops,  who  ought  to  have 
defended  the  place,  fled  at  the  first  onset,  and  nothing  re- 
mained for  the  inhabitants  but  to  abandon  it  and  escape 
from  slaughter  or  slavery,  the  dreadful  alternative  of  Afri- 
can conquest.  The  scene  was  affecting,  as  the  home  attach- 
ments of  the  African  are  strong;  and  the  view  of  this  dis- 
consolate crowd  quitting  perhaps  forever  their  native  spot, 
the  scene  of  their  early  life,  presented  an  impressive  picture 
of  human  calamity.  Park  would  now  very  gladly  have  pre- 
sented himself  before  his  friend  Daisy,  but  being  afraid  that 
in  the  confusion  he  would  be  mistaken  for  a  Moor  and  killed 
as  such,  he  considered  it  a  safer  course  to  join  the  retreat. 
He  found  greater  difficulty  in  escaping  than  he  had  ex- 
pected, having  the  misfortune  to  be  seized  by  three  Moham- 
medans who  threatened  to  carry  him  back  to  AH,  but  finally 
contented  themselves  with  robbing  him  of  his  cloak  and 
leaving  him  otherwise  unharmed.  In  flying  from  the  cruel 
Islamites  he  soon  found  himself  involved  in  a  danger  more 
alarming.  He  was  in  the  midst  of  an  immense  desert,  in 
which  was  neither  food  nor  water.  He  ascended  the  loftiest 
tree  within  his  reach,  but  could  see  no  boundary  to  the 
scene  of  desolation.  The  pangs  of  thirst  became  intoler- 
able, a  dimness  spread  over  his  eyes,  and  he  felt  as  if  life 
with  all  its  mingled  joys  and  miseries  was  about  to  close,  as 
if  all  the  anticipations  of  glory  by  which  he  had  been  im- 
pelled to  this  adventurous  career  had  vanished,  and  he  was 
to  perish  at  the  moment  when  a  few  days  more  would  have 
brought  him  to  the  shores  of  the  Niger.  Suddenly  he  saw 
a  flash  of  lightning,  and  eagerly  hailed  it  as  a  portent  of 
rain ;  the  wind  began  to  blow  among  the  bushes,  but  it  was 
only  a  sand  wind,  alas,  which  continued  for  an  hour  to  fill 
the  air.  At  last  a  brighter  flash  burst  forth,  followed  by  a 
refreshing  shower,  which  enabled  him  to  quench  his  thirst. 
He  traveled  onward,  passing  but    carefully   shunning  a  vil- 


In  Darkest  Africa  105 

lagc  of  Moors,  when  thirst  began  again  to  torment  him. 
Just  then  he  heard  a  sound  which  iiUed  him  with  joy;  it  was 
only  the  croaking  of  frogs;  but  soon  he  found  the  muddy 
pool  they  inhabited,  and  both  himself  and  his  horse  were 
thoroughly  refreshed.  He  shortly  arrived  at  a  Foulah  vil- 
lage, called  Sherillah,  where  the  dooty,  or  chief  magistrate, 
shut  the  door  in  his  face  and  refused  him  even  a  handful  of 
corn.  But  as  he  was  passing  through  the  suburbs  a  poor 
woman,  who  was  spinning  cotton  in  front  of  her  hut,  invited 
him  to  enter,  and  she  set  before  him  a  dish  of  houshous. 
Next  day  he  was  hospitably  received  by  a  Negro  shepherd, 
who  regaled  him  with  dates  and  boiled  corn  ;  but  Park  hap- 
pening to  pronounce  the  word  Nazarani  (Christian),  the  wife 
and  children  screamed  and  ran  out  of  the  house,  and  noth- 
ing could  induce  them  to  return  while  he  was  there. 

Park  considered  himself  beyond  the  reach  of  the  Moors 
when  he  reached  Warra,  and  being  kindly  received  deter- 
mined to  rest  two  or  three  days.  Proceeding  toward  Sego,  he 
joined  several  small  Negro  parties  on  the  road  ;  but,  as  the 
country  became  more  populous,  hospitality  was  less  com- 
mon. In  Moorja,  however,  though  generally  peopled  by 
Mohammedans,  he  was  even  generously  treated,  much  to 
his  surprise.  He  next  passed  through  the  ruins  of  several 
towns  and  villages,  which  in  recent  war  had  been  system- 
atically destroyed ;  the  large  bentang  tree  imder  which 
the  inhabitants  used  to  meet  had  been  cut  down,  the  wells 
were  filled  up,  and  everything  done  to  render  the  neighbor- 
hood uninhabitable.  He  passed  also  a  caravan  of  about 
seventy  slaves,  tied  together  by  the  neck  with  thongs  of 
bullock  hide,  seven  slaves  upon  each  thong.  Being  bare- 
footed, and  in  most  miserable  plight,  he  afforded  a  subject 
of  merriment  to  the  natives,  who  asked  if  he  had  been 
traveling  to  Mecca,  and  made  ironical  proposals  for  the 
purchase  of  his  horse,  which  he  was  driving  before  him  be- 
cause it  was  too  weak  to  carry  him, 

Sego  was  indicated  by  crowds  hastening  to  its  market: 
and   Park  was  told  that  on  the  following  day  (July  21)  he 


106  The  Flaming  Torch 

would  see  the  object  of  his  search,  the  Great  River.  He 
passed  a  sleepless  night,  but,  starting  before  daybreak,  he 
had  the  satisfaction  at  eight  o'clock  to  see  the  smoke  rising 
over  Sego.  He  overtook  some  fellow-travelers,  and,  in 
riding  through  a  piece  of  marshy  ground  one  of  them  called 
out,  "  Geo  affili !  "  (See  the  water  !)  and  "  it  was  with  infinite 
pleasure,"  he  says,  "  that  I  viewed  the  great  object  of  my 
mission,  the  long-sought-for,  majestic  Niger,  glittering  in 
the  morning  sun,  and  flowing  slowly  to  the  east.  I  hastened 
to  the  brink,  and  having  drunk  of  the  water,  lifted  up  my 
fervent  thanks  in  prayer  to  the  Great  Ruler  of  all  things  for 
having  thus  far  crowned  my  endeavors  with  success." 

Sego,  the  capital  of  the  kingdom  of  Bambarra,  consisted 
of  four  separate  towns,  two  -on  each  side  of  the  river,  sur- 
rounded with  high  mud  walls,  and  the  population  was  about 
thirty  thousand  at  that  time  ,  the  houses,  though  only  of 
clay,  were  neatly  whitewashed,  and  the  streets  commodious, 
with  mosques  rising  in  every  quarter.  The  numerous  canoes 
on  the  river,  and  the  cultivated  state  of  the  surrounding 
country,  presented  altogether  an  appearance  of  civilization 
and  magnificence  little  expected  in  the  heart  of  Africa. 
The  traveler  sought  a  passage  to  Sego-see-Korro,  the 
quarter  where  the  king  resides  ;  but  owing  to  the  crowd  of 
passengers  he  was  detained  two  hours  ;  during  which  time 
his  majesty  was  informed  that  a  white  man,  poorly  equipped, 
was  about  to  pass  the  river  to  seek  an  audience.  A  chief 
was  immediately  sent  with  an  express  order  that  the  traveler 
must  not  cross  wnthout  his  majesty's  permission,  and  a 
village  at  some  distance  was  pointed  out  where  it  was 
recommended  that  the  stranger  should  pass  the  night. 
Park,  not  a  little  disconcerted,  went  to  the  village  ;  but  as 
the  order  had  not  been  accompanied  with  any  provision  for 
his  reception  he  found  every  door  closed  to  him.  Turning 
his  horse  loose  to  graze,  he  was  preparing,  as  security  from 
wild  beasts,  to  climb  a  tree  and  sleep  among  its  branches, 
when  an  incident  occurred  which  gives  a  pleasing  view  of 
the  Negro  character.     An  old  woman,  returning  from   the 


In  Darkest  Africa  107 

labors  of  the  field,  comprehended  his  deplorable  condition 
and,  feeling  compassion  for  him,  desired  him  to  follow  her. 
She  led  him  to  an  apartment  in  her  hut,  procured  a  fine 
fish,  which  she  broiled  for  his  supper,  and  spread  a  mat  for 
him  to  sleep  upon.  She  then  desired  the  other  females  of 
the  house,  who  had  been  gazing  in  astonishment  at  the 
white  man,  to  resume  their  tasks,  which  they  did,  continu- 
ing their  work  through  a  great  part  of  the  night.  They 
cheered  their  labors  with  a  song  which  must  have  been 
composed  extempore,  since  Park  discovered  that  he  him- 
self was  the  subject  of  it.  It  said  in  a  strain  of  affecting 
simplicity,  "  The  winds  roared,  and  the  rains  fell.  The 
poor  white  man,  faint  and  wear\-,  came  and  sat  under  our 
tree.  He  has  no  mother  to  bring  him  milk,  no  wife  to  grind 
his  corn."  The  next  morning  he  could  not  depart  without 
requesting  his  landlady's  acceptance  of  the  only  gift  he  had 
left,  two  out  of  the  four  brass  buttons  that  still  remained  on 
his  waistcoat. 

Three  days  he  lingered  in  this  village,  during  which  he 
understood  that  he  was  the  subject  of  much  deliberation  at 
court,  the  Moors  and  slave  merchants  giving  the  most  un- 
favorable reports  of  his  character  and  purposes.  A  messen- 
ger came  and  asked  if  he  had  any  present,  and  seemed 
much  disappointed  on  being  told  that  the  Moors  had 
robbed  him  of  everything.  On  the  second  day  appeared 
another  envoy,  bearing  an  injunction  from  Mansong  that 
the  stranger  should  not  enter  Sego,  but  proceed  forth- 
with on  his  journey.  A  guide  was  furnished  him,  and  to 
defray  his  expenses  a  bag  containing  five  thousand  cowries 
was  delivered  to  him.  Park  estimates  this  sum  at  only 
twenty  shillings,  English  ;  but  according  to  the  rate  of  pro- 
visions, it  was  worth  much  more,  being  sufficient  to  main- 
tain himself  and  his  horse  for  fifty  days. 

Two  days'  journey  brought  Park  to  Sansanding,  a  town 
with  ten  thousand  inhabitants.  He  hoped  to  enter  un- 
noticed, finding  himself  mistaken  by  the  Negroes  for  a 
Moor.     Being  taken,  however,  before   Counti   Mamadi,  the 


108  The  Flaming  Torch 

dooty,  he  found  a  number  of  Mohammedans,  who  denied 
the  supposed  national  connection  and  regarded  him  with 
their  usual  hatred  and  suspicion.  Several  even  pretended 
that  they  had  seen  him  before,  and  one  woman  swore 
that  he  had  "  kept  his  house  "  three  years  at  Gallam.  The 
dooty  denied  their  request  to  have  him  taken  by  force 
to  the  mosque  ;  but  they  climbed  over  in  great  numbers  into 
the  court  where  he  had  taken  up  his  quarters  for  the  night, 
insisting  that  he  should  perform  his  evening  devotions  and 
eat  eggs.  The  first  proposal  was  positively  declined  ;  but 
the  second  he  professed  his  utmost  readiness  to  comply 
with.  The  eggs  were  accordingly  brought,  but  raw,  as  the 
natives  imagined  it  a  part  of  European  depravity  to  be 
fond  of  them  in  that  state.  His  reluctance  to  eat  raw 
eggs  exalted  him  in  the  eyes  of  his  sage  visitants;  his 
host  accordingly  killed  a  sheep,  and  gave  him  a  plentiful 
supper. 

The  route  now  lay  through  forests  infested  with  all  kinds 
of  wild  animals.  His  guide  suddenly  wheeled  his  horse 
round,  calling  out,  "  Wara  billi  billi !  "  (A  very  large  lion  !) 
Park's  steed  was  too  weak  to  gallop  suddenly  from  the 
scene  of  danger;  however,  as  he  saw  nothing,  he  sup- 
posed his  guide  mistaken,  when  the  latter  cried  out  again, 
"  God  preserve  me."  Then  the  traveler  saw  a  large  red 
lion,  holding  his  head  between  the  forepaws.  Park's 
eyes  were  fixed  as  by  fascination  on  this  sovereign  of 
beasts,  and  he  expected  every  moment  the  fatal  spring ; 
but  the  animal  remained  immovable  and  allowed  them  to 
pass  on. 

He  now  hired  a  boat,  in  which  he  was  conveyed  up  the 
river  to  Silla,  another  large  town,  where  his  reception  was 
so  inhospitable  that  the  dooty  only  reluctantly  permitted 
him  to  take  shelter  from  the  rain  in  a  damp  shed. 

During  his  stay  at  Silla  he  used  every  effort  to  obtain 
information  regarding  the  more  eastern  countries,  particu- 
larly the  kingdom  of  Timbuctoo,  and  the  course  of  the 
Niger.      He  was  told   that   the   next  great   city   along  the 


An  Albino   Negress 


In  Darkest  Africa  111 

river  was  Jennc,  which  was  represented  as  flourishing,  and 
hirgcr  than  Scgo  or  any  other  place  in  Bambarra.  Lower 
down  the  river  spread  an  expanse  of  water  so  extensive 
that  in  crossing  it  the  canoes  for  a  whole  day  lost  sight  of 
land.  This  was  called  Dibbic,  or  the  Dark  Lake.  On  the 
eastern  side  the  Niger  issued  out  of  this  lake  in  two  large 
branches,  inclosing  the  alluvial  country  of  Jinbala,  when 
they  again  united  in  one  channel  which  flowed  on  to  Kabra, 
the  port  of  Timbuctoo, 

Park  soon  learned  that  more  troubles  were  in  store  for 
him.  The  King  of  Bambarra  had  been  persuaded  by  his 
Moorish  counselors  to  apprehend  Park  and  have  him  brought 
a  prisoner  to  Sego,  from  which  fate  he  escaped  only  by  the 
retrograde  direction  he  had  taken.  One  of  his  most  disagreea- 
ble experiences  was  at  Souha,  where  the  dooty,  after  a  surly 
refusal  of  refreshment,  called  a  slave  and  ordered  him  to  dig 
a  pit,  uttering  at  the  same  time  expressions  of  anger  and 
vexation.  The  hole  became  always  deeper  and  deeper  till 
it  assumed  the  appearance  of  a  grave,  and  Park,  who  saw  no 
one  but  himself  likely  to  be  put  into  it,  began  to  think  it 
was  high  time  to  be  moving  off".  At  length  the  slave  went 
away  and  returned,  holding  by  the  leg  and  arm  the  corpse  of  a 
boy  about  nine  years  old,  which  he  threw  into  the  pit  with  an 
air  of  savage  unconcern,  the  dooty  exclaiming,  "  Naphuta  at- 
tiniata!"  (Money  lost!  Money  lost !)  Park  withdrew  in  disgust 
at  this  display  of  brutal  avarice.  The  only  hearty  meal  he 
obtained  for  many  days  was  from  a  Moslem  convert,  who, 
presenting  a  board,  entreated  him  to  write  a  saphie,  or  charm, 
upon  it  in  return  for  a  good  supper  of  rice  and  salt.  Park 
was  too  hungry  to  stick  at  trifles,  so  he  covered  the  board 
with  the  Lord's  Prayer  in  Arabic,  which  his  host  carefully 
washed  off  and  drank,  and  even  licked  the  wood  with  his 
tongue.  For  this,  in  addition  to  the  rice  supper,  he  received 
a  breakfast  of  meal  and  milk  next  morning. 

The  most  favorable  part  of  Park's  journey  homeward  was 
through  the  Jalonka  wilderness,  a  vast  and  very  dense  forest, 
through  which  the  caravan  traveled  during  five  days  without 


112  The  Flaming  Torch 

seeing  a  human  habitation.  On  emerging  from  this  forest 
they  had  no  difficulty  in  passing  through  the  fine  open 
country  of  Denta  and  the  smaller  wilderness  of  Tenda. 
Park  was  again  on  the  Gambia,  and  on  June  lo,  1797,  reached 
the  Pisania,  where  he  was  received  as  one  risen  from  the 
dead  ;  for  all  the  traders  from  the  interior  had  believed  and 
reported  that,  like  Major  Houghton,  he  was  murdered  by 
the  Moors  of  Ludamar. 

The  luster  of  Park's  achievements  had  diffused  among 
public  men  an  ardor  for  discovery  which  had  hitherto  been 
confined  to  a  few  individuals.  It  was  evident,  however,  that 
the  efforts  of  no  private  association  could  penetrate  the  depths 
of  this  vast  continent  and  overcome  the  obstacles  presented  by 
its  great  distances,  its  deserts,  and  its  barbarism.  Thus  it  be- 
came necessary  for  the  reigning  monarch,  George  III,  the  pa- 
tron of  Captain  Cook,  to  come  forward  as  the  promoter  of 
discovery  in  Africa.  Accordingly  in  October,  1801,  Park  was 
invited  by  the  government  to  undertake  an  expedition  on  a 
larger  scale  into  the  interior  of  the  Dark  Continent.  His 
mind  had  been  brooding  on  the  subject  for  some  time.  He 
had  conversed  much  with  Mr.  Maxwell,  a  gentleman  who  had 
long  commanded  a  vessel  in  the  African  trade,  and  had  been 
convinced  by  him  that  the  Zaire,  or  Congo,  would  prove  to 
be  the  channel  by  which  the  Niger,  after  watering  all  the  re- 
gion of  interior  Africa,  enters  the  Atlantic.  The  scientific 
world  was  disposed  to  adopt  Park's  views  on  this  subject, 
and  ultimately  the  whole  plan  of  the  expedition  was  arranged 
with  distinct  reference  to  them.  In  1804  he  was  requested 
by  Lord  Camden,  the  British  colonial  secretary,  to  complete 
his  arrangements,  being  assured  that  he  would  be  supplied 
with  all  means  necessary. 

On  January  30,  1805,  Park  sailed  from  Portsmouth  in  the 
Crescent,  and  about  March  28  he  arrived  at  Gorco.  There 
he  provided  himself  with  thirty-five  soldiers  and  an  officer, 
and  a  large  number  of  asses.  He  took  with  him  also  two 
sailors  and  four  smiths  who  had  been  sent  from  England. 

He  departed  with  his  little  band  from  Pisania  on  the  4th  of 


In  Darkest  Africa  113 

May,  and  proceeded  through  Medina  along  the  banks  of  the 
Gambia.  Turning  his  face  ahnost  due  west,  he  passed  the 
streams  of  the  Ba  Lee,  the  Ba  Fing,  and  the  Ba  Woohma, 
the  three  principal  tributaries  of  the  Senegal.  This  change 
of  direction  led  him  through  a  tract  much  more  pleasing 
than  that  which  he  passed  in  his  dreary  return  through  Ja- 
lonka  and  its  wilderness.  The  villages,  built  in  delightful 
mountain  glens,  and  looking  from  their  elevated  precipices 
over  a  great  extent  of  wooded  plain,  appeared  romantic  be- 
yond anything  he  had  ever  seen.  The  rocks  near  Sullo 
assumed  every  possible  diversity  of  form,  towering  like  ruined 
castles,  spires,  and  pyramids. 

The  African  climate,  however,  made  havoc  with  the  mem- 
bers of  the  expedition.  Every  day  added  to  the  list  of  sick 
or  dead,  and  the  heroic  traveler  was  almost  ready  to  give  up, 
when,  coming  to  an  eminence,  he  caught  a  distant  view  of 
tlie  mountains  the  southern  base  of  which  he  knew  to  be 
watered  by  the  Niger.  Then,  indeed,  he  forgot  his  troubles, 
and  thought  only  of  climbing  the  blue  hills  which  were  so 
delightful  to  him.  l^ut  three  weeks  elapsed  ere  he  could  ar- 
rive at  that  desired  point,  and  they  were  three  weeks  of  ter- 
rible suffering.  But  at  length  he  reached  the  summit  of  the 
ridge  which  divides  the  Senegal  from  the  Niger,  and  coming 
to  the  brow  of  the  hill  saw  again  that  majestic  river  rolling 
along  the  plain. 

The  voyage  down  the  river  was  distressing  ;  for  though 
the  fatigue  of  traveling  was  avoided,  the  heat  was  so  intense 
that  the  sick  had  no  chance  of  recovery. 

Mansonghad  promised  to  furnish  two  boats,  but  they  were 
late  in  arriving,  and  proved  very  defective.  But  with  con- 
siderable labor  these  two  boats  were  finally  converted  into 
one  large  skiff,  which  they  named  the  Joliba,  It  was  forty 
feet  long  and  six  broad,  drawing  only  one  foot  of  water. 

Sansanding  was  found  to  be  a  prosperous  and  flourishing 
town,  with  a  crowded  market  remarkabh'  well  arranged. 

During  Park's  stay  there  he  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his 
brother-in-law,  Mr.  Anderson.     Though  the  party  was  now 


114  The  Flaming  Torch 

reduced  to  only  five  Europeans,  one  of  whom  was  deranged, 
his  firmness  was  in  no  degree  shaken,  and  he  declared 
that  he  would  succeed  or  perish  in  the  attempt,  adding, 
"  Though  all  the  Europeans  who  are  with  me  should  die, 
and  though  I  were  myself  half  dead,  I  would  still  perse- 
vere." And  the  commencement  of  his  voyage  down  the 
Niger,  through  the  vast  unknown  regions  of  the  interior 
Africa,  he  called  "  turning  his  face  toward  England."  A 
long  interval  elapsed  without  any  tidings  of  him,  which, 
considering  the  great  distance  and  the  many  causes  of  de- 
lay, did  not  at  first  alarm  his  friends.  As  the  following 
year,  however,  passed  on  rumors  of  an  unpleasant  nature 
began  to  spread.  Governor  Maxwell,  of  Sierra  Leone,  feel- 
ing a  deep  interest  in  his  fate,  engaged  Isaaco,  a  guide  who 
had  been  sent  to  the  Gambia  with  dispatches  from  the 
Niger,  to  undertake  a  fresh  journey  to  inquire  after  Park. 
At  Sansanding  Isaaco  was  so  far  fortunate  as  to  meet  Amadi 
Fatouna,  who  had  been  engaged  to  succeed  himself  as  in- 
terpreter. From  him  he  received  a  journal  purporting  to 
contain  the  narrative  of  the  voyage  down  the  river  and 
of  its  final  issue.  The  party,  it  appeared,  had  purchased 
three  slaves,  who,  with  the  five  Europeans  and  Fatouna,  in- 
creased their  number  to  nine.  They  passed  Silla  and  Jenne 
in  a  friendly  manner,  but  at  Rakbara  (Kabra)  and  Timbuc- 
too  several  armed  parties  came  out  to  attack  them,  being 
repelled  only  by  a  smart  and  destructive  fire.  No  particu- 
lars are  given  of  any  of  those  important  places,  nor  of  Kaffo, 
Gotoijege,  and  others,  which  the  discoverers  are  represented 
as  having  afterward  passed.  At  length  they  came  to  the 
city  of  Yaour,  where  Amadi  Fatouna  left  the  party,  his 
services  having  been  engaged  only  to  that  point.  He  had, 
however,  scarcely  taken  his  leave  when  he  was  summoned 
before  the  king,  who  bitterly  complained  that  the  white  men, 
though  they  brought  many  valuable  commodities  with  them, 
had  passed  without  giving  him  any  presents.  He  therefore 
ordered  that  Fatouna  should  be  thrown  into  irons  and  a  body 
of  troops  sent  in  pursuit  of  the  English.     The  men  reached 


In  Darkest  Africa 


115 


Boussa,  and  took  possession  of  a  pass  where  rocks  hemming 
in  the  river  allowed  only  a  narrow  channel  for  vessels  to  de- 
scend. When  Park  arrived  he  found  the  passage  thus  ob- 
structed, but  attempted,  nevertheless,  to  push  his  way 
through.  "  The  people  began  to  attack  him,"  said  Fatouna, 
"  throwing  lances,  pikes,  arrows,  and  stones.  He  defended 
himself  for  a  long  time  as  best  he  could,  when  two  of  his 
slaves  at  the  stern  of  the  vessel  were  killed.  The  crew 
threw  everything  they  had  into  the  river  and  kept  firing, 
but  were  fatigued  and  overpowered  by  numbers,  and  unable 
to  hold  the  canoe  against  the  current.  Seeing  no  possibility 
of  escape  in  the  boat.  Park  took  hold  of  one  of  the  white 
men  and  jumped  into  the  river.  Martyn  did  the  same,  but 
they  were  all  drowned  in  the  stream.  The  only  slave  that 
remained  in  the  boat,  seeing  the  natives  persist  in  throwing 
weapons  into  it  without  ceasing,  stood  up  and  said  to  them  : 
'  Stop  throwing  now ;  you  see  nothing  in  the  canoe,  and 
nobody  but  myself;  therefore,  cease  !  Take  me  and  the 
canoe,  but  don't  kill  me.'  They  took  possession  of  both  and 
carried  them  to  the  king." 


116 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Horneman,  Campbell,  Tttckey,  etc 

ONTINUED  efforts  were  being  made  to 
explore  certain  parts  of  Africa  between 
Park's  two  expeditions.  Frederic  Horne- 
man,  a  student  of  the  University  of  Got- 
tingen,  communicated  to  Blumenbach,  the 
celebrated  professor  of  natural  history,  his 
ardent  desire  to  explore  the  interior  of 
Africa  under  the  auspices  of  the  associa- 
tion. Blumenbach  transmitted  to  that 
body  a  strong  recommendation  of  Horne- 
man  as  "  a  young  man,  active,  athletic, 
temperate,  knowing  sickness  only  by  name,  and  of  respect- 
able literary  and  scientific  attainments." 

Horneman  applied  his  mind  to  the  study  of  the  Arabic 
language,  and  otherwise  fitted  himself  for  supporting  the 
character  of  an  Arab,  under  which  he  hoped  to  escape  the 
effects  of  that  bigotry  which  had  opposed  a  fatal  bar  to  the 
progress  of  his  predecessors.  In  September,  1797,  he 
reached  Egypt,  but  it  was  the  5th  of  September,  1798, 
before  he  could  find  a  caravan  proceeding  to  westward, 
when  he  joined  one  destined  for  Fezzan  across  the  Great 
Desert. 

There  are  occasional  verdant  spots  in  this  desert,  and  ten 
days  brought  the  caravan  to  Ummesogeir,  a  village  situated 
on  a  rock,  with  a  hundred  and  twenty  inhabitants,  who, 
though  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  world,  pass  a  con- 
tented and  peaceful  existence,  subsisting  on  dates,  which 
are  the  chief  product  of  tlie  arid  soil.  Another  day's  jour- 
ney brought  the  travelers  to  Siwah,  a  much  more  extensive 
oasis,  the  rocky  border  of  which  is  estimated  by  Horneman 
to  be  fifty  miles  in  circumference. 


In  Darkest  Africa  117 

The  route  still  continued  through  a  barren  region,  yet 
not  presenting  such  a  monotonous  plain  of  sand  as  that 
which  intervenes  between  Egypt  and  Siwah.  It  was  bor- 
dered by  precipitous  limestone  rocks,  often  completely  filled 
witii  shells  and  marine  fossils.  The  caravan,  while  proceed- 
ing along  these  wild  tracts,  was  alarmed  by  a  tremendous 
braying  of  asses,  and,  on  looking  back,  saw  several  hundred 
people  of  Siwah,  armed  and  in  full  pursuit,  mounted  on 
these  animals.  The  scouts,  however,  soon  brought  an  as- 
surance that  they  came  with  peaceable  intentions,  but 
had  been  informed  that  in  the  caravan  there  were  two 
Christians  from  Cairo  whom  they  had  orders  to  kill.  On 
that  being  accomplished  they  would  permit  the  others  to 
proceed  unmolested.  All  Horneman's  tact  and  firmness 
were  required  in  this  terrible  crisis.  He  denied  absolutely 
that  he  was  a  Christian,  and  opened  the  Koran  to  display 
the  facility  with  which  he  could  read  its  pages;  he  even 
challenged  his  adversaries  to  answer  him  on  points  of  Mo- 
hammedan faith.  His  Mohammedan  companions  in  the 
caravan,  who  took  pride  in  defending  one  of  their  members, 
insisted  that  he  had  entirely  cleared  himself  from  the  impu- 
tation of  being  an  infidel,  and  as  they  were  supported  by 
several  of  the  Siwahans,  the  whole  body  finally  renounced 
their  purpose  and  returned  home. 

The  travelers  next  passed  through  Augila,  an  ancient 
town  mentioned  by  Herodotus,  and  crossed  a  long  range  of 
dreary  mountains — the  Black  Harutsch,  or  Mons  Atcr  of  the 
ancients.  After  a  march  of  sixteen  days  through  this  soli- 
tary region,  they  were  cheered  by  seeing  before  them  the 
little  kingdom  of  Fezzan,  or  the  Great  Oasis.  At  Mourzouk, 
the  modern  capital,  the  sultan  himself  awaited  their  arrival 
on  a  small  eminence,  seated  in  an  armchair  ornamented 
with  cloth  of  various  colors,  and  forming  a  species  of  throne. 
Each  pilgrim,  on  approaching  the  royal  seat,  took  off  his 
sandals,  kissed  the  sovereign's  hand,  and  took  his  station 
behind,  where  the  whole  assembly  joined  in  a  chant. 

Two  years  elapsed  without  any  tidings  of  Horneman,  but 


118  The  Flaming  Torch 

in  September,  1803,  a  Fezzan  merchant  informed  the  Danish 
consul  at  Tripoli  that  Horneman,  or  Yussuph,  as  he  had 
chosen  to  call  himself,  was  seen  alive  and  well  on  his  way  to 
Gondasch,  with  the  intention  of  proceeding  to  the  coast  and 
of  returning  to  Europe.  Another  Moorish  merchant  after- 
ward informed  the  British  consul  at  Tripoli  that  Yussuph 
was  safe  at  Kashna  in  June,  1803,  and  that  he  was  there 
highly  respected  as  a  Mussulman  marabout,  or  saint.  Major 
Denham  afterward  learned  that  he.  had  penetrated  Africa 
as  far  as  Nyffe  on  the  Niger,  where  he  fell  a  victim  to  cli- 
matic disease. 

In  1809  another  German,  named  Roentgen,  undertook  to 
explore  Africa  by  way  of  Morocco.  Like  Horneman,  he 
made  himself  master  of  Arabic  and  proposed  to  pass  for  a 
Mohammedan.  Having  arrived  at  Mogadore,  he  hired  two 
guides  and  started  out  to  join  the  Soudan  caravan,  but 
soon  afterward  his  body  was  discovered  only  a  short  distance 
from  his  starting  place.  No  reHable  information  could  be 
obtained  as  to  the  manner  of  his  death,  but  it  was  assumed 
that  his  guides  had  murdered  and  robbed  him. 

John  Campbell,  animated  by  the  desire  of  imparting  to 
this  people  the  blessings  of  religion,  undertook  in  1813  a 
mission  into  southern  Africa.  Passing  the  Sneuwberg  in 
the  same  direction  that  had  been  followed  by  Trutter  and 
Somerville,  he  reached  Lattakoo,  which,  by  a  change  not 
unusual  in  Africa,  had  been  moved  about  sixty  miles  to  the 
southward  of  its  original  situation  ;  but  the  new  city  had 
not  yet  attained  more  than  half  the  dimensions  of  the  old. 
His  reception  was  at  first  marked  by  a  peculiar  caution  and 
jealousy.  Not  a  sound  was  heard  in  the  city,  and  he 
walked  through  empty  streets  until  he  came  to  the  great 
square  in  front  of  the  palace,  where  several  hundred  men 
were  drawn  up,  armed  and  in  battle  array.  All  this  precau- 
tion was  found  to  have  been  suggested  by  the  fear  that  he 
and  his  companions  were  sent  to  avenge  the  death  of  Cowan 
and  Denovan,  two  travelers  who  had  been  murdered  ;  but 
no  sooner  were  the  inhabitants  satisfied  that   he  came  with 


V  i>^    -  ■ 


m 


In  Darkest  Africa  121 

no  commission  from  government  and  with  no  hostile  object, 
than  they  crowded  round  hini  with  their  usual  frankness  and 
eagerly  begged  for  tobacco.  Soon  after  Mateebe,  the  king, 
entered  with  a  numerous  train  of  attendants,  bearing  spears 
tipped  with  ostrich  feathers.  He  did  not,  in  passing,  take 
any  notice  of  the  English  strangers,  but  immediately  after 
admitted  them  to  an  interview,  though  without  giving  them 
quite  so  gracious  a  reception  as  they  could  have  wished. 
He  particularly  demurred  to  the  proposal  of  founding  a 
mission  at  Lattakoo  on  the  pretense  that  it  would  interfere 
with  the  tending  of  their  cattle  and  other  occupations,  but 
this  being  Mr.  Campbell's  favorite  object,  he  pressed  it  so 
earnestly  and  represented  in  such  flattering  terms  the  supe- 
rior wealth  and  industry  of  Europeans  that  Mateebe  at  length 
gave  his  consent  to  the  establishment  of  missionaries  and 
promised  to  treat  them  w^ell. 

In  1820  Mr.  Campbell,  supported  by  the  English  Mission- 
ary Society,  undertook  another  journey  into  this  district  of 
Africa.  He  found  the  Christian  establishment  at  Lattakoo 
in  a  somewhat  flourishing  state.  There  was  a  chapel  ca- 
pable of  containing  about  four  hundred  persons,  and  a  row 
of  good  houses  with  gardens  for  the  missionaries.  But  the 
friendly  conduct  of  the  natives  toward  that  body  had  not 
been  accompanied  with  any  disposition  to  embrace  or  even 
to  listen  to  their  doctrines.  The  Bechuanas,  more  perhaps 
than  any  other  barbarians,  seem  to  labor  under  a  peculiar 
thraldom  to  the  senses  and  an  utter  disregard  for  all  lofty 
and  spiritual  ideas.  Beads  for  ornament,  cattle  for  use, 
forays  for  the  display  of  valor  and  activity,  these  absorb 
their  whole  attention  and  leave  no  room  for  higher  objects. 
The  number  assembled  to  see  the  missionaries  dine  was 
three  times  greater  than  could  ever  be  induced  to  hear 
them  preach. 

At  Lattakoo  Mr.  Campbell  met  Kossic,  king  or  chief  of 
Mashow,  and  obtained  permission  to  visit  him,  which,  though 
expressed  in  rather  cold  and  haughty  terms,  his  zeal  induced 
him    to    embrace.     From    Mashow    he    passed     through    a 


122  ■    The  Flaming  Torch 

country  continually  improving  in  richness  and  beauty.  He 
reached  Kureechane,  which  is  thought  entitled  to  the  appel- 
lation of  a  city;  and  at  all  events  its  construction  and  the 
arts  practiced  in  it  were  decidedly  superior  to  anything 
yet  seen  in  southern  Africa.  The  natives  smelted  iron 
and  copper  in  large  clay  furnaces,  their  houses  were  sur- 
rounded with  good  stone  inclosures,  while  the  walls  of  mud 
were  often  painted  and  molded  into  pillars  and  other  orna- 
ments. Well-fashioned  vessels  of  earthenware  were  used  for 
holding  their  corn,  milk,  and  other  stores,  and  considerable 
ingenuity  was  shown  in  the  preparation  of  skins.  Campbell 
witnessed  here  the  peetso,  or  African  council,  where  the  as- 
sembled chiefs  acted  with  great  eccentricity,  yet  spoke  with 
good  judgment,  as  a  rule,  which  makes  it  difficult  to  say 
whether  they  are  sages  or  madmen.  Even  on  their  way  to  the 
meeting  these  savages  indulged  in  strange  gambols,  making 
immense  leaps  into  the  air,  brandishing  their  weapons  as  if 
to  attack  and  sometimes  stab  an  enemy.  "  The  circle  being 
formed,"  says  Campbell,  "  they  all  join  in  a  song,  which  the 
principal  person  often  follows  with  a  dance.  Each  chief  as 
he  rose  prefaced  his  speech  with  three  tremendous  howls  or 
yells,  sometimes  imitating  the  bark  of  a  dog.  Several  of 
his  attendants  then  sprang  forward  and  danced  before  him 
— an  accompaniment  never  omitted,  even  when  the  aged 
and  stiiTened  limbs  of  the  performers  render  it  altogether 
ludicrous.  At  length  comes  the  speech,  replete  with  frank- 
ness, courage,  often  with  good  sense,  and  even  with  a  rude 
species  of  eloquence." 

An  important  expedition  to  the  Congo  was  intrusted  by 
the  British  government  to  Captain  Tuckey  in  i8i6.  Be- 
sides a  crew  of  about  fifty,  including  marines  and  mechanics, 
he  was  accompanied  by  an  eminent  botanist  named  Smith  ; 
Mr.  Cranch,  an  able  zoologist  ;  Mr.  Tudor,  an  anatomist  ; 
Mr.  Lockhart,  a  gardener;  and  Mr.  Galwey.  They  sailed 
from  Deptford  on  the  i6th  of  February,  1816,  and  reached 
Malemba  on  the  30th  of  June. 

After  a  few  days'  journey  they  found  themselves  in  the 


In  Darkest  Africa 


123 


Arab  of  Upper  Congo 


channel  of  the  Congo,  which  greatly  disappointed  them,  as 
they  had  expected  to  find  a  river  of  stupendous  magnitude, 
whereas  they  found  only  a  narrow  stream.  It  was  then, 
however,  the  driest  part  of 
the  year  ;  "  nevertheless," 
records  Tuckey,  "  the  depth 
was  still  more  than  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  fathoms,  and  it 
was  impossible  to  estimate 
the  mass  of  water  which  its 
channel  might  convey  to  the 
ocean." 

After  sailing  between  ridges 
of  high  rocky  hills  the  expe- 
dition came  to  the  Yellala, 
or  Great  Cataract  ;  and  here 
they  met  with  a  second  disap- 
pointment. Instead  of  another 
Niagara,  which  general  report  had  led  them  to  expect,  they 
saw  only  "  a  comparative  brook  bubbling  over  its  stony 
bed."  The  fall  appears  to  be  occasioned  by  masses  of  gran- 
ite, fragments  of  which  have  fallen  down  and  blocked  up 
the  stream.  Yet  this  obstruction  rendered  it  quite  impos- 
sible for  the  boats  to  pass,  nor  could  they  be  carried  across 
the  precipices  and  deep  ravines  by  which  the  country  was 
intersected.  The  travelers  were  compelled  to  proceed  by 
land  through  this  difficult  region,  which,  having  no  guides, 
was  a  succession  of  inexpressible  difficulties.  Cooloo,  Inga, 
and  Mavoonda,  the  principal  villages,  were  separated  by 
long  intervals,  in  consequence  of  which  they  were  often 
compelled  to  sleep  in  the  open  air.  At  length  the  country 
began  to  improve  and  the  obstacles  to  navigation  gradu- 
ally disappeared  ;  but,  alas  !  just  as  the  journey  began  to 
bear  an  aspect  of  prosperity  indications  of  its  fatal  termi- 
nation became  perceptible.  The  health  of  the  party  was 
rapidly  giving  way  under  the  effects  of  fatigue  and  the 
malignant    influence  of  a  damp   and   burning    atmosphere. 


124  The  Flaming  Torch 

Tudor,  Cranch,  and  Galwey  were  successively  compelled  to 
return  to  the  ship.  Captain  Tuckey,  after  struggling  for 
some  time  against  disease  and  exhaustion,  as  well  as  the 
difficulties  of  the  undertaking,  saw  the  necessity  of  putting 
a  stop  to  the  farther  progress  of  the  expedition.  On  reach- 
ing the  vessel  they  found  that  Cranch,  Tudor,  and  Galwey 
were  dead,  having  successively  succumbed  to  disease.  Smith 
soon  shared  their  fate  ;  and  Captain  Tuckey  himself,  on  the 
4th  of  October,  expired  without  having  suffered  the  usual 
attack  of  fever. 

From  this  unhappy  expedition,  however,  some  informa- 
tion was  obtained  respecting  a  part  of  Africa  which  had  not 
been  visited  for  several  centuries,  but  they  recorded  no  trace 
of  the  great  kingdoms  or  of  the  cities  and  armies  described 
by  the  Portuguese  missionaries. 

Another  expedition,  under  Major  Peddie,  destined  to  de- 
scend the  Niger,  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Senegal.  In- 
stead of  the  beaten  track  along  the  banks  of  that  river  or  of 
the  Gambia  he  took  the  route  through  the  country  of  the 
Foulahs,  which,  though  nearer,  was  little  known  and  vastly 
more  difficult.  On  the  17th  of  November,  18 16,  he  sailed 
from  the  Senegal,  and  on  the  14th  of  December  the  party, 
consisting  of  one  hundred  men  with  two  hundred  animals, 
landed  at  Kakundy,  on  Rio  Nunez  ;  but  before  they  could 
begin  their  march  Major  Peddie  was  stricken  with  fever  and 
died.  Captain  Campbell,  the  next  in  command,  continued 
the  journey  until  he  arrived  at  a  small  river  called  the  Pani- 
etta,  on  the  frontier  of  the  Foulah  territory.  By  this  time 
many  of  the  beasts  of  burden  had  died  and  difficulty  was 
found  in  obtaining  provisions.  The  king  of  the  Foulahs 
detained  them  on  the  frontier  four  montlis  ;  their  stock  of 
food  and  clothing  gradually  diminished,  while  they  were 
suffering  all  the  evils  that  arise  from  a  sickly  climate.  At 
length  their  situation  became  appal Hng,  and  they  saw  the 
absolute  necessity  of  returning.  All  their  animals  were 
dead,  and  it  was  necessary  to  hire  natives  to  carry  their 
baggage.     They   reached  Kakundy   with    the   loss   only  of 


Civilized  Dahomans 


In  Darkest  Africa  127 

Mr.  Kummer,  the  naturalist  ;  but  Captain  Campbell  him- 
self became  a  victim  of  climate  and  fatigue,  and  died  on 
the  13th  of  June,  1817,  two  days  afterward.  The  command 
was  then  assumed  by  Lieutenant  Stokoe,  a  young  naval 
officer.  He  formed  a  new  scheme  for  proceeding  into  the 
interior,  but  unhappily  he  succumbed  to  the  climate. 

Captain  Gray,  of  the  Royal  African  Corps,  who  had  ac- 
companied the  last  mentioned  expedition  under  Major  Ped- 
die  and  Captain  Campbell,  undertook,  in  18 18,  to  perform  a 
journey  by  Park's  old  route  along  the  Gambia.  On  the  20th 
of  June,  1818,  he  reached  Boolibani,  the  capital  of  Bondou, 
where  he  remained  until  the  22d  of  May,  1819;  but  the  King 
of  Bondou  would  not  permit  him  to  proceed  farther. 

Major  Laing,  in  1821,  was  sent  on  a  mission  from  Sierra 
Leone  through  the  Timannee,  Kooranko,  and  Soolima 
countries,  with  the  view  of  making  arrangements  for  trading. 
On  this  journey  he  found  reason  to  believe  that  the  source 
of  the  Niger  lay  much  farther  to  the  south  than  Park  had 
supposed.  At  Falaba  he  was  assured  that  it  might  have 
been  reached  in  three  days  had  not  the  Kissi  nation,  in 
whose  territory  it  was  situated,  been  at  war  with  the  Sooli- 
mans,  with  whom  Major  Laing  then  resided.  He  was  in- 
clined to  fix  the  source  of  this  great  river  a  very  little  above 
the  ninth  degree  of  latitude. 

In  1 8 19  Mr.  Ritchie,  a  young  man  of  considerable  scien- 
tific attainments,  undertook  the  direction  of  still  another 
expedition  for  the  British,  accompanied  by  Lieutenant 
Lyon,  a  naval  officer.  This  expedition  was  well  received  at 
Tripoli,  and  set  out  on  the  22d  of  March  for  Fezzan  with 
Mukni,  the  sultan,  who  gave  them  solemn  assurances  of  pro- 
tection. This  chief,  however,  was  a  ruffian  who  had  made 
his  way  to  power  by  the  massacre  of  the  late  sovereign  and 
his  brother,  and  supported  his  favor  at  Tripoli  by  annual 
slave  hunts,  which  he  extended  over  the  whole  desert  to 
the  frontier  of  Soudan.  Thus  he  brought  annually  to 
Tripoli  four  or  five  thousand  of  those  unhappy  victims,  a 
large  proportion  of  whom  were  bestowed  in  presents. 


128 


The  Flaming  Torch 


The  members  of  the  expedition  soon  began  to  suffer 
from  the  cHmate,  Lieutenant  Lyon  being  seized  with  dysen- 
tery, and  Ritchie  with  bilious  fever,  under  which  they  lan- 
guished during  the  whole  summer.  The  treacherous  Mukni 
not  only  withheld  all  aid,  but  studiously  prevented  others 
from  giving  them  assistance.  At  length  poor  Ritchie,  over- 
whelmed by  disease  and  anxiety,  died  on  the  20th  of  No- 
vember, 1 8 19.  Lyon  partially  recovered,  but  found  himself 
without  the  means  of  penetrating  farther  than  to  the  south- 
ern frontier  of  Fezzan. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


129 


CHAPTER    IX 

The  New  Era 

ISTORY  records  that  a  new  era 
commenced  for  Africa  about  tlie 
year  1815.  The  Napoleonic  wars 
were  ended,  and  France  had  been 
vanquished  on  the  field  of  Water- 
loo. In  Africa,  England's  diplo- 
macy and  money  had  gradually 
gained  a  paramount  influence, which 
has  continued  to  grow  more  and 
more  absolute  until  the  present 
time.  An  Egyptian  debt  of  $400,- 
000,000,  owned  mostly  in  England 
indicates  the  inevitable,  when 
Turkish  rule  can  be  safely  ignored 
and  the  jealousy  of  other  European 
nations  appeased.  The  new  era 
was  destined  to  see  a  long  period  of 
peaceful  development  throughout  the  world.  In  America, 
our  own  republic  led  the  way.  Undreamed-of  results  in 
world-wide  prosperity,  in  invention,  learning,  and  moral 
activities  were  the  result. 

Europe  at  this  time  had  only  a  few  stations  and  factories 
on  the  coasts  of  Africa,  and  but  little  occupation  beyond  the 
seaboard.  Interior  Africa  was  unexplored  and  unknown. 
There  was  no  real  interest  in  the  continent  as  a  whole,  as  in 
the  case  of  America  or  Australia.  France  was  only  awaken- 
ing to  a  new  desire  for  colonial  expansion,  and  Germany 
had  no  idea  of  colonizing  there.  England  cared  only  for 
Africa  as  a  way  station  to  her  Asiatic  empire.  The  Portu- 
guese and  other  nations  which  had  possessions  in  Africa 
made  little  or  no  effort  to  strengthen  or  extend  them.  The 
9 


130  The  Flaming  Torch 

total  commercial  value  of  African  trade  in  i'$>\^,  iiichcdiug 
slaves,  was  only  $150,000,000.  The  exports  were  but 
$6,500,000,  and  half  of  tliis  from  Egypt  and  the  countries  of 
the  Mediterranean. 

For  many  years  Africa,  as  far  as  the  outside  world  was 
concerned,  was  to  be  left  practically  alone,  and  this  seems 
to  have  been  providential.  It  gave  Africa  herself  an  oppor- 
tunity for  preparation.  This  period  was  of  great  importance 
to  the  Dark  Continent.  In  the  outside  world  there  was  an 
entire  change  of  sentiment  as  to  the  relations  a  parent  coun- 
try should  sustain  to  her  colonies.  The  question  at  issue 
was  imperialism  on  the  one  hand  and  federation  on  the 
other.  The  former  declared  that  colonies  were  private 
properties  of  the  crowns,  to  be  administered  with  little  or 
no  thought  of  the  colonists  themselves.  The  federation  idea 
was  "  that  colonists  were  to  be  regarded  as  parts  of  the 
whole  nation,  with  rights  and  privileges  and  claims  for  pro- 
tection and  help,  the  same  as  the  subjects  who  dwelt  under 
the  more  immediate  shadow  of  the  throne."  This  senti- 
ment toward  colonies  was  emphasized  also  by  the  independ- 
ence of  thought  among  the  colonists  themselves,  and  also 
by  the  increasing  necessities  for  new  colonies  by  the  crowded 
populations  of  European  countries. 

The  suppression  of  the  slave  trade  was  also  another  mat- 
ter affecting  Africa  at  this  period.  Its  destruction  was 
practically  reached  in  1850  as  far  as  Europe  and  America 
were  concerned.  The  enlightened  conscience  of  Christen- 
dom, expressed  on  the  platform  and  in  literature,  the  con- 
tests in  diplomatic  circles,  and  legislation,  all  helped  to  reach 
the  heart  and  conscience  of  the  civilized  world  concerning 
the  despised  races  of  the  Dark  Continent. 

When  the  slave  trade  in  the  West  had  been  suppressed  the 
horrors  of  this  Arab-Asiatic  traffic  were  brought  to  light,  and 
philanthropists  and  statesmen  united  in  a  determined  effort 
to  crush  it,  and  focused  the  interest  of  the  world  upon 
central  Africa  as  it  had  never  been  before.  The  emancipa- 
tion of  the  slaves  in  America   had  a  telling  effect  upon  the 


In  Darkest  Africa  131 

conscience  of  mankind  concerning  their  African  brethren, 
and  God  in  liis  wonderful  ways  was  preparing  the  European 
and  American  nations  for  a  realization  of  their  final  respon- 
sibilities toward  Africa.  During  that  period  of  preparation 
France  was  the  only  nation  to  gain  new  territory  in  the 
Dark  Continent.  She  conquered  Algeria  and  established  the 
future  French  empire  in  Northwest  Africa.  Her  possessions 
in  Africa,  however,  have  cost  her  $750,000,000,  and  many 
thousands  of  lives.  But  the  benefits,  both  to  Africa  and  the 
French  nation,  are  incalculable,  and  Algeria,  when  she  has 
been  linked  with  Senegal  on  the  west  coast  by  the  modern 
railway  across  two  thousand  five  hundred  miles  of  the 
dreary  wastes  of  Sahara,  will  doubtless  become  a  great  and 
thriving  country. 

The  world  within  the  realm  of  civilization  desired  to  learn 
the  physical  resources  of  the  mysterious  continent  ;  the 
location  of  her  mountains  and  plains,  and  the  length  and 
breadth  of  her  great  lakes  and  rivers ;  the  varying  nature  of 
her  climate,  and  the  character  and  temper  of  her  native 
population.  The  attention  of  Europe's  most  learned  men 
was  fixed  upon  Africa.  Egyptology  became  a  science,  and 
questions  of  geography,  ethnology,  history,  language,  and 
religion  as  related  to  Africa  became  the  questions  of  the 
hour.  Heroic  men,  and  women  too,  braved  the  dangers  of 
the  jungle,  desert,  and  savage,  in  earnest  endeavor  to  make 
the  unknown  known,  and  throw  light  upon  the  land  where 
darkness,  ignorance,  and  superstition  reigned.  It  is  impos- 
sible for  me  even  to  give  the  names  of  all  who  have  ven- 
tured to  become  explorers  of  Africa,  but  I  have  endeavored 
to  link  together  a  few  of  the  more  important,  together  with 
a  brief  account  of  their  struggles,  which  may  prove  both 
interesting  and  instructive  to  the  reader.  Many  of  them, 
whose  records  teemed  with  interest  for  our  grandparents, 
have  long  since  been  forgotten.  I  have  deemed  it  well  to 
open  these  dusty  volumes  of  "forgotten  lore,"  and  let  the 
early  explorer  live  and  die  again  his  martyr's  death  for  Africa 
in  this  volume. 


132 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER   X 
About  Lake  Tchad 

N  the  autumn  of  1821  the  British  government  pre- 
pared another  expedition.  Major 
Denham,  Lieutenant  Clapperton, 
of  the  navy,  and  Dr.  Oudney,  a 
naval  surgeon,  were  appointed  to 
this  service,  and  proceeded  with- 
out delay  to  Tripoli,  where  they 
arrived  on  the  1 8th  of  November. 
After  a  few  days'  rest  they  started 
on  a  long  and  dreary  pilgrimage  to 
Mourzouk,  where  they  arrived  on 
the  8th  of  April,  1822.  The  prince 
of  Fezzan  received  them  with  courtesy  and  promised  to 
make  provision  for  the  continuance  of  their  journey.  He 
even  intimated  his  intention  of  visiting  Tripoli  and  the 
necessity  of  their  remaining  till  his  return.  This  arrange- 
ment was  most  disheartening;  nor  did  they  know  what 
reliance  to  place  in  the  sincerity  of  Boo  Khalloom,  a  great 
merchant,  who  invited  them  to  accompany  an  expedition 
wliich  he  was  preparing  for  the  Soudan.  The  sultan  and 
he  soon  after  departed,  each  with  large  presents  for  the 
bashaw,  to  intrigue  against  one  another  at  the  court  of 
Tripoli.  After  they  had  gone  there  was  scarcely  a  camel 
left  in  Fezzan,  or  any  other  means  by  which  they  could 
continue  their  journey.  Major  Denham  then  saw  no 
alternative  but  that  he  himself  should  hasten  back  to 
Tripoli  and  remonstrate  with  the  bashaw.  After  a  tedious 
journey  of  twenty  days,  with  only  three  attendants,  he 
arrived,  and  was  received  by  the  bashaw  with  his  usual 
courtesy;  but  not  getting  the  satisfaction  which  he  ex- 
pected the  major  lost  no  time  in  setting  sail  for  England 


In  Darkest  Africa  133 

to  lodge  a  complaint  with  his  government.  This  step  dis- 
turbed the  bashaw  considerably,  and  he  sent  several  vessels 
after  the  major,  one  of  which  overtook  him  at  Marseilles. 
The  bashaw  announced  that  arrangements  were  actually 
made  with  Boo  Khalloom  for  escorting  Major  Denham's 
expedition  to  the  capital  of  Bornou,  and,  true  enough,  on 
the  major's  return  to  Tripoli  he  found  the  Arab  chief  already 
on  the  borders  of  the  desert.  Under  the  guidance  of  this 
merchant  Major  Denham  set  out  with  the  full  assurance  of 
reaching  those  depths  of  Africa  from  which  no  European 
had  ever  yet  returned.  Little  occurred  to  diversify  the 
monotony  of  the  desert  route  until  they  arrived  at  Sockna, 
where  Boo  Khalloom,  who  was  fond  of  display,  determined 
to  make  his  entrance  with  almost  kingly  pomp.  He  rode  a 
white  Tunisian  horse,  with  gilded  saddle  and  trappings  of 
scarlet  cloth  bordered  with  gold ;  his  dress  consisted  of 
various  caftans  and  robes  of  rich  silks,  adorned  with  gold 
buttons,  lace,  and  embroidery.  The  natives  received  the 
party  with  shouts  and  firing  of  guns,  and  the  females  with 
singing  and  dancing,  and  formed  a  sort  of  triumphal  proces- 
sion. Several  days  were  spent  at  Sockna,  Boo  Khalloom 
being  ill  and  wishing  to  try  the  effect  of  various  charms  and 
superstitious  remedies.  The  English,  meantime,  witnessed 
a  great  marriage  ceremony,  the  chief  part  of  which  consisted 
in  placing  the  bride  in  a  basket  on  the  back  of  a  camel  and 
leading  her  round  the  town,  while  numerous  horsemen 
galloped  up  and  discharged  their  muskets  quite  close  to  her 
head  ;  the  honor  of  this  compliment  was  supposed  to  com- 
pensate for  the  fear  which  it  occasioned. 

In  journeying  onward  toward  Mour/.ouk  the  travelers 
passed  along  the  naked  sides  of  the  Gebel  Assoud,  which 
the  major  now  crossed  for  the  third  time;  but  no  familiarity 
could  relieve  the  sense  of  dreariness  and  misery  which  its 
aspect  occasioned.  On  the  30th  of  October  the  caravan 
inade  its  entry  into  Mourzouk  amid  the  shouts  of  the 
inhabitants,  whom  the  chief  by  his  liberality  had  in- 
spired with  the  warmest  attachment.       Denham,   however, 


134  The  Flaming  Torch 

was  much  disheartened  by  not  seeing  any  of  his  country- 
men amid  the  joyous  crowd  ;  and  his  fears  were  confirmed 
by  finding  Dr.  Oudney  just  recovering  from  a  severe  ilhiess 
in  the  chest,  and  Clapperton  in  bed  with  ague — facts  which, 
combined  with  the  unfortunate  result  of  the  last  expedition 
and  the  sickly  appearance  of  the  natives  themselves,  indi- 
cated some  peculiarly  baneful  influence — without  any  visible 
cause — in  the  climate  of  Mourzouk. 

On  the  29th  of  November  the  whole  caravan  began  their 
journey  through  the  desert.  They  were  escorted  by  nearly 
every  inhabitant  who  could  muster  a  horse.  The  expedi- 
tion, besides  the  English,  comprised  two  hundred  and  ten 
Arabs,  ranged  in  tens  and  twenties,  under  different  chiefs. 
On  this  journey  the  travelers  had  on  one  side  the  Tibboos,  on 
the  other  the  Tuaricks,  two  native  tribes,  probably  of  great 
antiquity,  and  having  no  alliance  whatever  with  the  Arab 
race  now  so  widely  spread  over  the  continent.  The  Tib- 
boos  were  on  the  left,  and  it  was  through  their  villages 
that  the  caravan  passed.  "  They  are  a  gay,  good-humored, 
thoughtless  race,"  says  Denham,  "  with  all  the  African 
passion  for  song  and  dance.  Once  a  year,  or  oftener,  an 
inroad  is  made  by  their  fierce  neighbors,  the  Tuaricks,  who 
spare  neither  age  nor  sex  and  sweep  away  all  that  come 
within  their  reach.  The  cowardly  Tibboos  dare  not  even  look 
them  in  the  face;  they  can  only  mount  to  the  top  of  certain 
steep  rocks  with  flat  summits  and  perpendicular  sides,  near 
one  of  which  every  village  is  built."  The  savage  Tuaricks 
were  observed  by  Clapperton  and  Oudney  in  a  journey  to 
the  westward  from  Mourzouk,  and  were  found  in  their 
private  character  to  be  frank,  honest,  and  hospitable.  The 
females  are  neither  immured  nor  oppressed,  as  is  usual 
among  rude  and  Mohammedan  tribes,  but  meet  with  notice 
and  respect ;  indeed,  the  domestic  habits  of  this  nation 
have  much  resemblance  to  the  Europeans.  They  are  a 
completely  wandering  race  of  shepherds  and  robbers,  holding 
in  contempt  all  who  live  in  houses  and  cultivate  the  ground  ; 
yet  they  are,  perhaps,  the  only  native  Africans  who  have 


In  Darkest  Africa 


135 


Gazelles 


letters  and  an  alphabet,  which  they  inscribe,  not  on  books 
and  parchments,  indeed,  but  on  the  dark  rocks  that  checker 
the  surface  of  their  territory,  and  in  places  where  they 
have  long  resided  every  stone  seen  is  covered  with  their 
writings."  After  a  fort- 
night in  the  desert  the 
expedition  saw  symptoms 
of  a  return  to  the  region 
of  life.  There  appeared 
scattered  spots  of  thin 
herbage;  little  valleys 
watered  by  springs  were 
filled  with  a  shrub  called 
suag,  on  which  grew  deli- 
cate berries;  small  herds 
of  gazelles  fed  in  these  re- 
treats, even  the  droves  of  hyenas  indicated  the  revival  of 
animal  nature.  As  the  travelers  advanced  the  country  im- 
proved;  the  valleys  became  gay  and  verdant,  and  the  creep- 
ing vines  of  the  colocynth  in  full  bloom,  with  the  red  flowers 
of  the  kossom,  converted  many  of  these  spots  into  a  little 
Arcadia.  The  freshness  of  the  air,  with  the  melody  of 
myriad  songsters  perched  among  the  creeping  plants,  whose 
flowers  diffused  an  aromatic  odor,  formed  the  most  delight- 
ful contrast  to  the  desolate  region  through  which  they  had 
passed.  Here  again  were  found  Tibboos,  of  the  tribe  called 
Gunda,  a  more  alert  and  active  people  than  the  former;  the 
men  still  uglier,  the  girls  still  handsomer  and  more  delicately 
formed. 

In  approaching  the  territory  of  the  Soudan  the  English 
witnessed  a  system  of  mutual  plunder  between  the  caravan 
and  the  natives.  Every  animal  which  strayed  from  the  main 
body  was  instantly  carried  off.  A  herald,  handsomely 
equipped,  who  had  been  sent  forward  to  the  Sultan  of  Bor- 
nou,  was  found  stripped  and  tied  naked  to  a  tree.  On  the 
other  hand,  no  sooner  did  the  caravan  come  in  view  of  any 
village  than  the  inhabitants  were  seen  on  the  plain  beyond 


136  The  Flaming  Torch 

in  full  flight  with  all  their  chattels.  The  Arabs  pursued,  in 
pretended  indignation  at  not  being  allowed  to  purchase  what 
they  wanted  ;  but  the  conduct  of  the  poor  natives  was  evi- 
dently the  result  of  long  experience,  and  Major  Denham  saw 
executed  on  one  party  the  most  rapid  process  of  plunder  he 
ever  witnessed.  He  says,  "  In  a  few  seconds  the  camels 
were  eased  of  their  loads,  and  the  poor  women  and  girls 
stripped  to  the  skin."  Boo  Khalloom,  on  this  and  other  oc- 
casions, interposed  and  insisted  on  restitution  ;  but  whether 
he  would  really  have  done  so  without  the  urgent  remon- 
strances of  the  English  appears  to  be  doubtful. 

The  expedition  now  entered  Kanem,  the  most  northern 
province  of  Bornou,  and  soon  arrived  at  Lari,  a  town  of  two 
thousand  inhabitants,  composed  of  clusters  of  rush  huts,  con- 
ical at  the  top,  and  looking  like  well-thatched  corn  stacks. 
This  place  formed  a  remarkable  stage  in  their  progress ;  for 
from  the  rising  ground  in  front  of  it  was  seen  stretching  out 
the  boundless  expanse  of  the  great  interior  sea  of  Africa — 
Lake  Tchad — "glowing  with  the  golden  rays  of  the  sun," 
Major  Denham,  who  saw  here  the  key  to  his  grand  scheme 
of  discovery,  hastened  down  to  the  shores  of  this  mighty 
water.  The  caravan  now  marched  along  the  shores  of  the 
lake  and  arrived  in  two  days  at  Woodie,  a  large  town,  and  the 
first  which  they  found  to  be  thoroughly  Negro. 

The  political  state  of  the  country  at  this  time  was  some- 
what singular.  Twenty  years  before  it  had  been  overrun  and 
completely  conquered  with  the  most  dreadful  devastation  by 
the  Fellatas,  a  western  people  which  spurned  a  foreign  yoke. 
The  present  sheik,  a  native  of  Kanem,  rallied  round  him  a 
band  of  bold  spearmen,  hoisted  the  green  flag,  and  attacked 
the  invaders.  His  success  was  such  that  in  ten  months  the 
Fellatas  were  completely  driven  out  of  Bornou,  and  had 
never  since  reentered.  This  leader,  idolized  by  the  army 
who  had  conquered  under  him,  was  now  the  real  master  of 
the  country,  yet  the  reverence  of  the  nation  for  their  an- 
cient line  of  kings  was  too  deep  to  allow  the  legitimate 
heir  to  be  wholly  superseded. 


In  Darkest  Africa  137 

After  five  days  an  invitation  arrived  from  the  sheik  to  visit 
liini  at  Kouka,  for  which  city  the  travelers  immediatcl}'  de- 
parted. On  their  way  they  passed  the  Yeou,  the  first  river 
of  note  which  had  crossed  their  path  in  this  long  journey, 
exciting  considerable  interest  by  being  for  a  moment  sup- 
posed to  be  the  Niger  flowing  from  Timbuctoo.  The  stream 
was  fifty  yards  broad,  and  proceeded  with  some  rapidity  east- 
ward into  the  Tchad.  In  the  wet  season  its  breadth  was 
more  than  double.  The  men  and  goods  were  ferried  over  on 
rafts,  while  the  horses  and  camels,  fastened  together  in  bands, 
swam  across. 

The  major  pressed  eagerly  forward  before  the  main  body, 
and,  emerging  from  the  forest,  had  his  curiosity  gratified  by 
seeing  a  body  of  several  thousand  horses  drawn  up  in  line 
and  extending  on  each  side  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 
He  now  awaited  the  coming  up  of  the  Arabs,  at  sight  of 
whom  the  Bornou  troops,  who  had  previously  stood  immov- 
able, raised  a  mighty  yell  which  rent  the  air,  followed  by  the 
loud  sound  of  rude  martial  music.  Then,  i'orming  detached 
parties,  they  galloped  up  full  speed  to  the  strangers,  never 
pausing  till  they  almost  touched  the  horses'  heads,  when 
they  suddenly  wheeled  round  and  returned,  exclaiming, 
"  Blessing,  blessing,  sons  of  your  country  !  sons  of  your  coun- 
try !  "  They  had  soon  completely  surrounded  the  party  and 
wedged  them  in  so  close,  waving  their  spears  over  their  heads, 
that  it  was  impossible  for  the  strangers  to  move.  Boo  Khal- 
loom  had  nearly  lost  all  patience  at  this  vehement  and  in- 
commodious welcome  ;  but  Barca  Gana,  the  commander  in 
chief,  made  his  appearance  very  soon  and  restored  order,  and 
had  an  opening  made  by  which  the  caravan  slowly  made  its 
way  to  the  city,  where  after  much  ceremony  they  found  the 
sheik  in  a  small  dark  room  quietly  seated  on  a  carpet,  plainly 
dressed,  and  ornamented  solely  with  guns  and  pistols  which 
he  had  received  in  presents  from  crowned  heads  and  esteemed 
the  most  rare  and  precious  of  decorations.  He  appeared 
about  forty  or  forty-five  years  of  age,  and  his  countenance  was 
pleasing  and  expressive.     He  inquired  their  object  in  visiting 


138  The  Flaming  Torch 

Bornou,  and  on  being  informed  that  they  had  come  merely 
to  see  the  country  and  to  give  an  account  of  its  appearance, 
produce,  and  people,  he  agreed  to  forward  their  views  and 
gratify  their  wishes. 

Next  day  the  major  delivered  his  presents  to  the  sheik. 
A  double-barreled  gun  and  two  pistols  with  powder  flasks 
and  shot  cases  were  examined  by  him  with  minute  at- 
tention ;  the  other  gifts,  consisting  of  fine  cloths,  spices,  and 
porcelain,  were  no  sooner  produced  than  the  slaves  were 
ordered  to  carry  them  to  his  private  apartments.  This  Af- 
rican potentate  was  particularly  gratified  on  being  told  that 
the  King  of  England  had  heard  of  him,  and  said,  turning  to 
his  captains,  "  This  must  be  in  consequence  of  our  having 
defeated  the  Begharmis,"  upon  which  Bagah  Furby,  a  grim 
old  soldier  who  had  made  a  figure  in  that  war,  came  forward 
and  asked, '*  Did  he  ever  hear  of  me?"  Major  Denham 
scrupled  not  to  answer,  "  Certainly,"  when  the  whole  party 
instantly  called  out,  "  O,  the  King  of  England  must  be  a 
great  man  !  " 

It  was  next  arranged  that  Major  Denham  should  be  intro- 
duced to  the  sultan  in  his  royal  residence  at  Birnie,  where 
all  the  state  and  pomp  of  the  kingdom  were  concentrated, 
and  on  the  2d  of  March  the  expedition  accompanied  Boo 
Khalloom  to  that  city,  and  on  their  arrival  an  interview  was 
appointed  for  the  next  morning.  Fashion,  even  in  the  most 
refined  European  courts,  does  not  always  follow  the  absolute 
guidance  of  reason  or  taste,  and  her  magic  power  is  often 
displayed  in  converting  deformities  into  beauties  ;  but  there 
is  certainly  no  court  of  which  the  taste  is  so  absurd,  grotesque, 
or  monstrous  as  that  to  which  Major  Denham  was  now  in- 
troduced. "An  enormous  protruding  paunch  and  a  huge 
misshapen  head  are  the  two  features  without  which  it  is  vain 
to  aspire  to  the  rank  of  a  courtier  or  of  a  fine  gentleman. 
This  form,  valued  probably  as  a  type  of  abundance  and 
luxury,  is  esteemed  so  essential  that,  where  nature  has  not 
bestowed  it,  and  the  most  excessive  feeding  and  cramming 
cannot  produce  it,  wadding  is  employed,  which  in  riding  ap- 


^4  J^rh0^^^M^^M0' 


Natives  of  Bornou 

(Illustration  from  Major  Denhaiii) 


In  Darkest  Africa  141 

pears  to  liang  over  the  pommel  of  the  saddle.  Turbans, 
also,  are  wrapped  round  the  head  in  fold  after  fold  till  it  ap- 
pears swelled  on  one  side  to  the  most  unnatural  dimensions, 
and  only  one  half  of  the  face  remains  visible.  The  fictitious 
bulk  of  the  lords  of  Bornou  is  auj^mented  b}- drawing  round 
them,  even  in  this  burning  climate,  ten  or  twelve  successive 
robes  of  cotton  or  silk,  while  the  whole  is  covered  over  with 
numberless  charms  inclosed  in  green  leather  cases.  Yet  under 
all  these  incumbrances  they  do  sometimes  mount  and  take 
the  field  ;  but  the  idea  of  such  unwieldy  hogsheads  being  of 
any  avail  on  the  day  of  battle  appeared  altogether  ridiculous, 
and  it  proved  that  on  such  high  occasions  they  merely  ex- 
hibited themselves  as  ornaments." 

Witii  about  three  hundred  of  this  puissant  chivalry  before 
and  around  him,  the  sultan  was  himself  seated  near  the 
garden  door  in  a  sort  of  cane  basket  covered  with  silk,  with 
his  face  entirely  shaded  beneath  a  turban  of  more  than  usual 
magnitude.  The  presents  were  silently  deposited,  and  the 
courtiers,  tottering  beneath  the  weight  of  their  turbans  and 
their  paunches,  could  not  display  that  punctilious  activity 
which  had  been  so  annoying  at  the  palace  of  the  sheik.  This 
was  all  that  was  ever  seen  of  the  Sultan  of  Bornou.  The  party 
then  set  out  for  Kouka,  passing  on  their  way  through  An- 
gornou,  the  largest  cit}'  in  the  kingdom,  containing  at  least 
thirty  thousand  inhabitants. 

Boo  Khalloom,  having  concluded  his  business  in  Bornou, 
proposed  an  expedition  into  the  wealthy  region  of  Houssaor 
Soudan,  but  the  greed  of  his  followers  pointed  to  a  different 
object.  They  asked  him  to  lead  them  in  an  attack  on  a  vil- 
lage of  unbelievers,  in  the  mountains  of  Mandara,  to  carry 
off  the  people  as  slaves  to  Fezzan.  At  first  he  denounced 
the  proposal,  but  the  sheik  took  part  against  him,  and  even 
his  own  brother  joined  the  malcontents,  and  there  appeared 
no  other  way  in  which  he  could  return  with  credit  and  profit. 
He  suffered  his  better  judgment  to  be  overpowered,  and 
finally  consented  to  conduct  his  troop  in  this  vile  business. 
Major  Denham,  too,   I  regret  to  record,  allowed   his  zeal  for 


142  The  Flaming  Torch 

discovery  to  overcome  nobler  considerations,  and  he  deter- 
mined,  notwithstanding  the  prohibition  of  the  sheik,  to  take 
part  in  the  raid.  They  were  accompanied  by  Barca  Gana, 
the  principal  general,  a  Negro  of  huge  strength  and  great 
courage,  along  with  other  warriors  and  a  large  body  of  Bornou 
cavalry.  "  These  last  are  a  fine  military  body  in  point  of 
external  appearance,"  says  Denham.  "  Their  persons  are 
covered  with  iron  plate  and  mail,  and  they  manage  with  sur- 
prising dexterity  their  little  active  steeds,  which  are  also 
supplied  with  defensive  armor.  They  have  one  fault  only, 
but  that  a  serious  one — they  cannot  stand  the  shock  of  an 
enemy.  While  the  contest  continues  doubtful  they  hover 
round  as  spectators,  ready,  should  the  tide  turn  against  them, 
to  spur  on  their  coursers  to  a  rapid  flight;  but  if  they  see 
their  friends  victorious  and  the  enemy  turning  their  backs, 
they  come  forward  and  display  no  small  vigor  in  pursuit  and 
plunder." 

The  road  to  Mandara  formed  a  continued  ascent  through 
a  fertile  country  which  contained  some  populous  towns.  The 
path  being  quite  overgrown  with  thick  and  prickly  under- 
wood, twelve  pioneers,  or  scouts,  went  forward  with  long 
poles,  opening  a  track,  pushing  back  the  branches,  and  giv- 
ing warning  to  beware  of  holes.  These  operations  they  ac- 
companied with  loud  praises  of  Barca  Gana,  calling  out, 
"Who  is  in  battle  like  the  rolling  of  thunder?  Barca  Gana. 
In  battle,  who  spreads  terror  round  him  like  the  buffalo  in 
his  rage?  Barca  Gana."  Even  the  chiefs  on  this  expedition 
carried  no  provisions  except  a  paste  made  of  rice,  flour,  and 
honey,  with  which  they  contented  themselves,  unless  when 
sheep  could  be  procured,  in  which  case  half  the  animal,  hav- 
ing been  roasted  over  a  framework  of  wood,  was  placed  on 
the  table,  and  a  sharp  dagger  was  employed  in  cutting  it  into 
large  pieces,  to  be  eaten  without  bread  or  salt. 

At  length  they  arrived  at  Mora,  the  capital  of  Mandara. 
This  was  another  kingdom  which  the  energy  of  the  sultan 
had  rescued  from  the  yoke  of  the  Fellata  empire;  and  the 
strong  position  of  its  capital,  inclosed  by  lofty  ridges  of  hills, 


In  Darkest  Africa  143 

had  enabled  it  to  defy  repeated  attacks.  The  hills  directly 
ill  front  were  bold,  rocky,  and  precipitous,  and  clustered  with 
villages  perched  on  their  sides  and  even  on  their  tops,  and 
were  distinctly  seen  from  the  plain  of  Mandara.  They  were 
occupied  by  half-savage  tribes  whom  the  ferocious  bigotry  of 
the  Moslem  nations  occupying  the  low  country  branded  as 
pagans,  and  whom  they  claimed  a  right  to  plunder,  seize, 
drive  in  crowds  for  sale  to  the  markets  of  Fezzan  and  Bornou. 
"  The  fires  which  were  visible  in  the  different  nests  of  these 
unfortunate  beings  threw  a  glare  upon  the  bold  rocks  and 
blunt  promontories  of  granite  by  which  they  were  surrounded 
and  pnxluced  a  picturesque  and  somewhat  awful  appearance." 
A  baleful  joy  gleamed  in  the  visage  of  the  Arabs  as  they  eyed 
these  abodes  of  their  future  victims,  whom  they  already  fan- 
cied themselves  driving  in  bands  across  the  desert.  Their 
common  fear  of  Fellatas  had  united  the  Sultan  of  Mandara 
in  close  alliance  wath  the  sheik,  to  whom  he  had  lately  mar- 
ried his  daughter  ;  and  the  nuptials  had  been  celebrated  by 
a  great  slave  hunt  among  the  mountains,  when,  after  a  dread- 
ful struggle,  they  made  three  thousand  captives. 

In  approaching  the  capital  they  were  met  by  the  sultan 
with  five  hundred  Mandara  horses,  who,  charging  full  speed, 
wheeled  round  them  with  the  same  threatening  movements 
which  had  been  exhibited  at  Bornou.  The  horses  were  of 
a  superior  breed,  skillfully  managed,  and  covered  with 
cloths  of  various  colors,  as  well  as  with  skins  of  the  leopard 
and  tiger  cat.  This  cavalry  made  a  very  brilliant  appear- 
ance ;  but  the  major  did  not  yet  know  that  their  valor 
was  as  superficial  as  that  of  their  Bornou  allies.  The  party 
were  then  escorted  to  the  capital,  amid  the  music  of  long 
pipes  like  clarionets,  and  of  two  immense  trumpets.  The 
mode  of  approaching  the  royal  residence  is  to  gallop  up  to 
the  gate  with  a  furious  speed,  which  often  causes  fatal  acci- 
dents ;  and  on  this  occasion  a  man  was  ridden  down  and 
killed  on  the  spot.  The  sultan  was  found  in  a  dark-blue 
tent,  sitting  on  a  mud  bench,  surrounded  by  about  two  hun- 
dred attendants,  handsomely  arrayed  in  silk  and  cotton  robes. 


144  The  Flaming  Torch 

He  was  an  intelligent  little  man,  about  fifty,  with  a  beard 
which  had  been  dyed  a  beautiful  and  dazzling  sky-blue. 
Courteous  salutations  were  exchanged,  during  which  he 
steadily  eyed  Major  Denham,  and  the  traveler  was  intro- 
duced as  belonging  to  a  powerful  distant  nation,  allies  of  the 
Bashaw  of  Tripoli,  At  last,  however,  came  the  fatal  ques- 
tion, "Is  he  Moslem? — La!  la! — no!  no! — What!  has  the 
great  bashaw  Kaffir  friends?"  and  as  no  one  uttered  a  word 
in  contradiction  Denham  was  never  again  permitted  to  enter 
the  palace. 

The  bigotry  of  this  court  seems  to  have  surpassed  even  the 
usual  bitterness  of  the  African  tribes,  and  our  traveler  had 
to  undergo  systematic  persecution,  carried  on  especially  by 
Malem  Chadily,  the  leading  fighi,  or  doctor,  of  the  court. 
This  individual  held  out  not  only  paradise,  but  honors, 
slaves,  and  wives  of  the  first  families,  as  gifts  to  be  lavished 
on  him  by  the  sheik,  in  the  vain  endeavor  to  persuade  him 
to  renounce  his  unbelief.  Nothing  appears  to  have  annoyed 
Denham  more  than  to  be  told  that  he  was  of  the  same  faith 
with  the  kerdies  or  Kaffirs,  little  or  no  distinction  being 
made  between  any  who  denied  the  Koran. 

Major  Denham  had  heard  much  of  the  Shary,  a  great 
river  flowing  into  Lake  Tchad,  and  on  whose  banks  the 
kingdom  of  Loggun  was  situated.  After  several  delays  he 
set  out  on  the  23d  of  January,  1824,  in  company  with  Mr. 
Toole,  a  young  volunteer,  who,  journeying  by  the  way  of 
Tripoli  and  Mourzouk,  had  crossed  the  desert  to  join  him. 
The  travelers  passed  through  Angornou  and  Angala,  and 
arrived  at  Showy,  where  they  saw  the  river,  which  really 
proved  to  be  a  magnificent  stream,  fully  half  a  mile  broad, 
and  flowing  at  the  rate  of  two  or  three  miles  an  hour.  They 
ascended  and  reached  the  capital  of  Loggun,  beneath  whose 
high  walls  the  river  was  seen  flowing  in  majestic  beauty. 
Major  Denham  entered,  and  found  a  handsome  city  with  a 
wide  street  bordered  by  large  dwellings. 

On  his  desiring  to  see  the  sultan,  he  was  led  through  sev- 
eral dark  passages   into  a   wide   and  crowded  court,  at  one 


In  Darkest  Africa  145 

end  of  which  a  lattice  opened  and  showed  a  pile  of  silk 
robes  stretched  on  a  carpet,  amid  which  two  eyes  became 
gradually  visible  ;  this  was  the  sultan.  On  his  appearance 
there  arose  a  tumult  of  horns  and  frum-frums ;  while  all  the 
attendants  threw  themselves  prostrate,  casting  sand  on  their 
heads.  In  a  voice  which  the  court  fashion  of  Loggun  re- 
quired to  be  scarcely  audible,  the  monarch  inquired  Major 
Denham's  object  in  coming  to  this  countr}%  observing  that 
if  it  was  to  purchase  handsome  female  slaves  he  need  go  no 
farther,  since  he  himself  had  hundreds  who  could  be  sold 
at  a  very  low^  rate.  I  need  scarcely  say  that  this  overture 
was  rejected  on  other  grounds  than  the  price.  Notwith- 
standing so  decided  a  proof  of  barbarism,  the  Loggunese 
were  found  to  be  a  people  more  advanced  in  the  arts  of 
peace  than  any  hitherto  seen  in  Africa.  B}-  a  studied  neu- 
trality they  had  avoided  involving  themselves  in  the  dread- 
ful wars  which  had  desolated  the  neighboring  countries. 
Manufacturing  industry  was  honored,  and  the  cloths  woven 
here  were  superior  to  those  of  Bornou,  being  finely  d}-ed 
with  indigo  and  beautifully  glazed.  There  were  even  cur- 
rent coins  made  of  iron,  somewhat  in  the  form  of  a  horse- 
shoe;  and,  rude  as  this  was,  none  of  their  neighbors  pos- 
sessed anything  similar.  The  womeil  were  handsome,  intel- 
ligent, and  of  a  lively  air  and  carriage;  but,  besides  pushing 
their  frankness  to  excess,  their  general  demeanor  was  by  no 
means  scrupulous.  For  instance,  they  exerted  the  utmost 
diligence  in  stealing  from  Major  Denham's  person  every- 
thing that  could  be  reached,  even  searching  the  pockets  of 
his  trousers;  and,  when  detected,  only  laughed.  But  the 
darkest  feature  of  savage  life  was  disclosed  when  the  sultan 
and  his  son  each  sent  secretly  to  solicit  poison  "  that  would 
not  lie,"  to  be  used  against  the  other.  The  latter  even 
accompanied  the  request  with  a  bribe  of  three  lovely  black 
damsels,  and  laughed  at  the  horror  which  was  expressed  at 
the  proposal. 

Major   Denham  was  much   distressed  on  this  journe}'  by 

the   death   of  his  companion,  Mr.  Toole;  and    he   could  no 
10 


146  The  Flaming  Torch 

longer  delay  his  return  when  he  learned  that  the  Begharmis, 
with  a  large  army,  was  crossing  the  Shary  to  attack  Bornou. 
Soon  after  his  arrival  at  Kouka  the  sheik  led  out  his  troops, 
which  he  mustered  on  the  plain  Angala,  and  was  there  furi- 
ously attacked  by  five  thousand  Begharmis  led  by  two  hun- 
dred chiefs.  The  Begharmi  cavalry  were  strong  and  fierce, 
and  both  riders  and  horses  still  more  thoroughly  cased  in 
mail  than  those  of  Bornou  ;  but  their  courage  when  brought 
to  the  proof  was  nearly  on  a  level.  The  sheik  encountered 
them  with  his  Kanemboo  spearmen  and  a  small  band  of 
musketeers,  when,  after  a  sharp  conflict,  the  whole  of  this 
mighty  host  was  thrown  into  a  disorderly  retreat ;  even  the 
Bornou  cavalry  joined  in  the  pursuit.  Seven  sons  of  the 
sultan  and  almost  all  the  chiefs  fell,  and  two  hundred  of 
their  favorite  wives  were  taken. 

The  British  government,  desiring  to  strengthen  Major 
Denham's  party,  sent  out  a  Mr.  Tyrwhit  with  supplies  and 
assistants.  They  arrived  on  the  20th  of  May,  and  on  the  22d 
Mr.  Tyrwhit  delivered  to  the  sheik  a  number  of  presents, 
which  were  received  with  the  highest  satisfaction.  In  com- 
pany with  him,  Major  Denham,  eager  to  explore  Africa 
still  farther,  took  advantage  of  another  expedition  under- 
taken against  the  tribes  of  Shouaa  Arabs,  distinguished  by 
the  name  of  La  Sala,  a  race  of  amphibious  shepherds,  who 
inhabit  certain  islands  that  extend  along  the  southeastern 
shores  of  the  Tchad.  These  spots  of  earth  afford  rich  pasture  ; 
while  the  water  is  so  shallow  that  by  knowing  the  channels 
the  natives  can  ride  on  their  horses  without  difficulty  from 
one  island  to  the  other.  Barca  Gana  led  a  thousand  men 
on  this  expedition,  and  was  joined  by  four  hundred  of  a 
Shouaa  tribe,  called  Dugganahs,  enemies  to  the  La  Salas. 
"  These  allies  presented  human  nature  under  a  more  pleas- 
ing aspect,"  writes  Denham,  "  than  it  had  yet  been  seen  in 
any  part  of  central  Africa.  They  despise  the  Negro 
nations,  and  all  who  live  in  houses,  and  still  more  in  cities  ; 
while  they  themselves  reside  in  tents  made  of  skin,  collected 
into  circular  camps,  which  they  move  periodically  from  place 


In  Darkest  Africa  147 

to  place.  They  live  in  simple  plenty  on  the  produce  of 
their  flocks  and  herds,  celebrate  their  joys  and  sorrows  in 
extemporary  poetry,  and  seem  to  be  united  by  the  strongest 
tics  of  domestic  affection."  Tahr,  their  chief,  having  closely 
examined  our  traveler  as  to  the  motives  of  his  journey,  said: 
"And  have  you  been  three  years  from  your  home  ?  Are 
not  your  eyes  dimmed  with  straining  to  the  north,  where  all 
your  thoughts  must  ever  be  ?  If  my  eyes  do  not  see  the 
wife  and  children  of  my  heart  for  ten  days  they  are  flowing 
with  te.irs  when  they  should  be  closed  in  sleep."  On  taking 
leave  Tahr's  parting  wish  was,  "  May  you  die  at  your  own 
tents  and  in  the  arms  of  your  wife  and  family."  This  chief, 
it  is  said,  might  have  sat  for  the  picture  of  a  patriarch  ;  his 
fine,  serious,  expressive  countenance,  large  features,  and  a 
long,  bushy  beard  afforded  a  favorable  specimen  of  the  gen- 
eral aspect  of  his  tribe. 

The  united  forces  now  marched  to  the  shores  of  the  lake 
and  began  to  rcconnoiter  the  islands  on  which  the  Shouaas 
with  their  cattle  and  their  cavalry  were  stationed  ;  but  the 
experienced  eye  of  Barca  Gana  soon  discerned  that  the 
channel,  though  shallow,  was  full  of  holes,  and  had  a  muddy, 
deceitful  appearance.  He  proposed,  therefore,  to  delay  the 
attack  till  a  resolute  band  of  Kanemboo  spearmen  should 
arrive  and  lead  the  way.  The  lowing,  however,  of  the  nu- 
merous herds,  and  the  bleating  of  the  flocks  on  the  green 
islands  which  lay  before  them,  excited  in  the  troops  a  degree 
of  hunger  as  well  as  of  military  ardor  that  was  quite  irre- 
pressible. They  called  out:  "  What  !  be  so  near  them  and 
not  eat  them  ?  No,  no,  let  us  on  ;  this  night  these  flocks 
shall  be  ours  !  "  Barca  Gana  suffered  himself  to  be  hurried 
away,  and  plunged  in  among  the  foremost.  Soon,  however, 
the  troops  began  to  sink  into  tlie  holes  or  stick  in  the 
mud  ;  their  guns  and  powder  were  wet  and  became  useless  ; 
while  the  enemy,  who  knew  every  step,  and  could  ride 
through  the  water  as  quickly  as  on  land,  at  once  charged 
the  invaders  in  front,  and  sent  round  a  detachment  to  take 
them  in  the  rear.    The  assault  was  accordingly  soon  changed 


148  The  Flaming  Torch 

into  a  disgraceful  flight,  in  which  those  who  had  been  the 
most  loud  in  urging  to  this  rash  onset  set  the  example. 
Barca  Gana,  wlio  had  boasted  himself  invulnerable,  was 
deeply  wounded  through  his  coat  of  mail  and  four  cotton 
robes,  and  was  with  difficulty  rescued  by  his  chiefs  out  of 
the  hands  of  five  La  Sala  horsemen  who  had  vowed  his 
death.  The  army  returned  to  their  quarters  in  disappoint- 
ment and  dismay,  and  with  a  severe  loss.  During  the  whole 
night  the  Dugganah  women  were  heard  bewailing  their  hus- 
bands who  had  fallen,  in  dirges  composed  for  the  occasion 
and  with  plaintive  notes,  which  could  not  be  listened  to 
without  the  deepest  sympathy.  Major  Denham  was  de- 
terred by  this  disaster  from  making  any  further  attempts  to 
penetrate  the  eastern  shores  of  the  Tchad. 

While  Denham  was  thus  traversing  Bornou  and  the  sur- 
rounding countries,  Clapperton  and  Oudney  were  proceed- 
ing through  Houssa.  They  departed  from  Kouka  on  the 
14th  of  December,  1823,  and,  after  passing  the  site  of  Old 
Birnie,  found  the  banks  of  the  Yeou  fertile,  and  diversi- 
fied with  towns  and  villages.  On  entering  Katagum,  the 
most  easterly  Fellata  province,  they  observed  a  superior 
style  of  culture;  two  crops  of  wheat  being  raised  in  one 
season  by  irrigation,  and  the  grain  stored  in  covered  sheds 
elevated  from  the  ground  on  posts.  In  Bornou  the  Euro- 
peans had  been  viewed  with  almost  unmingled  horror;  and, 
for  having  eaten  their  bread  under  the  extremest  necessity, 
a  man  had  his  testimony  rejected  in  a  court  of  justice. 

The  travelers  passed  through  Sansan,  a  great  market 
place  divided  into  three  distinct  towns,  and  Katagum,  the 
strongly  fortified  capital  of  the  province,  containing  about 
eight  thousand  inhabitants.  Thence  they  proceeded  to 
Murmur,  where  Dr.  Oudney  succumbed  to  sickness  and 
died. 

Proceeding  onward,  Clapperton  and  his  followers  reached 
Katungwa,  the  first  town  of  Houssa  proper,  in  a  country 
well  inclosed  and  under  high  cultivation,  and  two  days 
afterward  he  entered  Kano,  the  Ghana  of  Edrisi,  and  which 


A  Musician  of  French  Guinea 
(Collection  of  Prince  Roland  Bonn/><i!te) 


In  Darkest  Africa  151 

was  then,  as  it  was  over  six  hundred  years  ago,  the  chief 
commercial  city  of  Houssa  and  all  central  Africa. 

The  regulations  of  the  market  of  Kano  seemed  to  be  good. 
There  was  a  sheik  who  regulated  the  police,  and  even  fixed 
the  prices.  "The  dylalas,  or  brokers,"  relates  Clapperton, 
"  are  men  of  somewhat  high  character ;  packages  of  goods 
are  often  sold  unopened,  and  bearing  merely  their  mark.  If 
the  purchaser  afterward  finds  any  defects  he  returns  it  to  the 
agent,  who  must  grant  compensation.  The  medium  of  ex- 
change is  not  cloth  as  in  Bornou,  nor  iron,  as  in  Loggun, 
but  cowries,  or  little  shells  brought  from  the  coast,  twenty 
of  which  are  worth  a  half-penu}-,  and  four  hundred  and 
eighty  make  a  shilling;  so  that,  in  paying  a  pound  sterling, 
one  has  to  count  over  nine  thousand  six  hundred  cowries. 
Our  countr}'man  admires  this  currency,  as  excluding  all 
attempts  at  forgery.  Amid  so  many  strangers  there  is 
ample  room  for  the  trade  of  the  restaurateur,  which  is 
occupied  by  a  female  seated  on  the  ground,  with  a  mat  on 
her  knees,  on  which  are  spread  vegetables,  gussub  water, 
and  bits  of  roasted  meat  about  the  size  of  a  penny ;  these  she 
retails  to  her  customers  squatted  around  her.  The  killing 
of  a  bullock  forms  a  sort  of  festival  at  Kano ;  its  horns  are 
dyed  red  with  henna,  drums  are  beat,  and  a  crowd  collected, 
who,  if  they  approve  of  the  appearance  and  condition  of  the 
animal,  readily  become  purchasers." 

From  Kano,  Clapperton  set  out  under  guidance  of 
Mohammed  Jollie,  leader  of  an  extensive  caravan  intended 
for  Sackatoo,  capital  of  the  sultan  of  the  Fellatas. 

On  the  1 6th  of  March,  1824,  after  passing  through  the 
hilly  district  of  Kamoon,  the  valleys  began  to  open,  and 
crowds  of  people  were  seen  thronging  the  market  with  wood, 
onions,  indigo,  and  other  commodities. 

The  sultan  opened  a  fann'liar  communication  with  the 
English  envoy,  in  which  he  showed  himself  possessed  of 
considerable  information.  The  astronomical  instruments, 
from  which,  as  from  implements  of  magic,  many  of  his 
attendants    started    with     horror,    were    examined    bv    the 


152  The  Flaming  Torch 

monarch  with  an  intelligent  e}-e.  On  being  shown  a  "  plani- 
sphere," he  proved  his  knowledge  of  the  planets,  and  even 
of  many  of  the  constellations,  by  repeating  their  Arabic 
names.  The  telescope,  which  presented  obiects  inverted  ; 
the  compass,  by  which  he  could  always  turn  to  the  east  in 
praying;  and  the  sextant,  which  he  called  ''  the  looking-glass 
of  the  sun,"  excited  peculiar  interest. 

Sackatoo  appeared  to  Clapperton  the  most  populous  city 
he  had  seen  in  the  interior  of  Africa.  The  houses  stand 
more  closely  together  than  in  most  other  towns  of  Houssa, 
and  are  laid  out  in  regular,  well-built  streets.  It  was  then 
surrounded  b}'  a  wall  between  twenty  and  thirty  feet  high, 
with  twelve  gates,  which  were  punctual]}-  shut  at  sunset. 
Being  desirous  to  accomplish  what  had  all  along  been  his 
main  object,  he  sought  a  guide  here  to  the  western  countries 
and  the  Gulf  of  Benin,  by  which  route  he  proposed  to  inves- 
tigate the  course  of  the  Niger  and  the  fate  of  Park,  and 
also  to  pave  the  way  for  commercial  intercourse,  which 
would  be  of  some  benefit  to  Britain,  and  of  great  advantage 
to  Africa.  The  sultan  at  first  gave  assurances  of  permission 
and  aid  in  traveling  through  ever}'  part  of  his  dominions  ; 
but  demurred,  when  mention  was  made  of  Xyffe,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Niger;  Youri,  where  the  papers  of  Park  were 
reported  to  be  kept ;  Rakah  and  Fundah,  where  that  river 
was  said  to  fall  into  the  sea.  Professing  tender  solicitude 
for  his  safety,  he  finally  announced  to  Clapperton  that  no 
escort  could  be  found  to  accompany  him  on  so  rash  an  enter- 
prise, and  that  he  could  return  to  England  only  by  retracing 
his  steps. 

Returning,  Clapperton  visited  Zirmie,  the  capital  of  Zam- 
fra,  a  kind  of  outlawed  city,  and  where  all  runaway  slaves 
find  protection,  the  inhabitants  of  which  are  esteemed  the 
greatest  rogues  in  Houssa.  He  passed  also  through  Kashna, 
or  Cassina,  the  metropolis  of  a  kingdom  which  had  once 
ruled  over  all  Africa  from  Bornou  to  the  Niger. 

Mr.  Clapperton  rejoined  Major  Denham  at  Kouka,  whence 
they    set    out,    and    recrossed    the    desert    together    in    the 


In  Darkest  Africa  153 

latter  part  of  the  year  1824.  They  reached  London  agahi 
in  June,  1825. 

On  the  7th  of  December,  1825,  they  a.c^ain  set  out  from 
Badagry  into  interior  Africa.  Shortly  afterward  Morrison 
and  Pearce,  two  of  their  party,  were  attacked  with  a  danger- 
ous fever,  and  Clapperton  with  ague.  Notwithstanding 
this,  they  pushed  on  till  the  22d,  when  Clapperton,  seeing  his 
companions  become  worse,  urged  them  either  to  remain  be- 
hind or  to  return  to  Badagry.  They  insisted  on  proceeding; 
but  next  day  Morrison  could  struggle  no  longer,  and  de- 
parted for  the  coast,  but  he  died  before  reaching  it.  Cap- 
tain Pearce  persevered  until  he  sank  on  the  road,  breathing 
his  last  on  the  27th.  Clapperton  was  thus  left  to  pursue  his 
long  and  adventurous  journey  in  very  painful  and  desolate 
circumstances.  He  had  only  a  faithful  servant,  Richard 
Lander,  who  stood  by  him  in  all  his  fortunes,  with  Pascoe,  a 
Negro  whom  he  hired  at  Badagry. 

After  a  journey  of  sixty  miles  the  travelers  entered  the 
kingdom  of  Yoruba,  called  also,  from  its  capital,  Eyeo,  This 
country  had  long  been  reported  on  the  coast  as  the  most 
populous,  powerful,  and  flourishing  of  all  western  Africa; 
holding  even  Dahomey  in  vassalage. 

The  English  travelers  were  agreeably  surprised  by  the 
reception  which  they  experienced  during  this  journey. 
With  the  Negro  and  pagan  Eyeos  there  was  no  religious 
enmity  ;  and  having  understood,  by  reports  from  the  coast, 
the  superiority  of  Europeans  in  arts  and  wealth,  this  people 
viewed  them  almost  as  being  of  a  superior  order;  to  see  them 
they  felt  an  eager  and  friendly  curiosity. 

The  party  had  to  cross  a  range  of  hills  about  eighty  miles 
broad,  reported  to  reach  the  whole  way  from  behind  Ashan- 
tee  to  Benin.  The  highest  pinnacle  was  not  supposed  to 
exceed  twenty-five  hundred  feet,  but  its  passes  were  pecul- 
iarly narrow  and  rugged,  hemmed  in  by  gigantic  blocks  of 
granite,  six  or  seven  hundred  feet  high,  sometimes  fearfully 
overhanging  the  road.  The  valley  varied  in  breadth  from 
one  hundred  yards  to  half  a  mile  ;  but  every  level  spot  ex- 


154  The  Flaming  Torch 

tending  along  the  foot  of  these  mountains,  or  even  sus- 
pended amid  their  cliffs,  was  covered  with  fine  crops  of 
yams,  millet,  and  cotton,  A  large  population  thus  filled 
these  Alpine  recesses,  all  animated  with  the  most  friendly- 
spirit.  After  ascending  hill  over  hill  they  came  to  Chaki,  a 
large  and  populous  town,  situated  on  the  very  summit  of  the 
ridge.  Here  the  caboceer  (officer)  had  a  house  and  a  large 
stock  of  provisions  ready  for  them.  He  put  many  ques- 
tions, and  earnestly  pleaded  for  a  stay  of  two  or  three  days. 

They  shortly  after  arrived  at  Tshow,  where  a  caboceer 
arrived  from  the  King  of  Yoruba,  with  a  numerous  train 
of  attendants.  His  people  kept  up  through  the  night  a  con- 
stant hubbub — singing,  drumming,  dancing,  and  firing — and, 
claiming  free  quarters,  they  devoured  such  a  quantity  of 
provisions  that  the  party  fared  worse  than  in  any  other  place. 
Next  morning  they  set  out  with  a  crowded  escort  of  bow- 
men on  foot,  and  of  horsemen,  ill-mounted,  but  active, 
dressed  in  the  most  grotesque  manner  and  covered  with 
charms.  On  reaching  the  brow  of  a  hill  the  great  capital  of 
Eyeo  opened  to  the  view,  on  the  opposite  side  of  a  vast  plain 
bordered  by  a  ridge  of  granite  hills  and  surrounded  by  a 
brilliant  belt  of  verdure.  On  reaching  the  gate  they  entered 
the  house  of  a  caboceer  until  notice  was  sent  to  the  king, 
who  immediately  invited  them  to  his  palace.  The  king  was 
sitting  under  a  veranda,  dressed  in  two  long  cotton  robes 
and  ornamented  with  three  strings  of  glass  beads  and  a  paste- 
board crown,  covered  with  blue  cotton,  which  had  been  pro- 
cured from  the  coast.  The  visitors,  instead  of  the  usual 
prostration,  merely  took  off  their  hats,  bowed,  and  presented 
their  hands,  which  the  king  lifted  up  three  times,  calling 
out,  "AkoF  ako?"'  (How  do  you  do?)  His  wives  behind, 
drawn  up  in  a  dense  body,  which  the  travelers  vainly  at- 
tempted to  number,  raised  loud  cheers  and  smiled  in  the 
most  gracious  manner. 

The  sanguinary  sacrifices  and  executions  of  Ashantee  and 
Dahomey  were  mentioned  here  with  disgust.  "  At  the  death 
of  the  king  only  a  few  of  his  principal  ministers  and  favorite 


In  Darkest  Africa  155 

wives  take  poison,  presented  to  them  in  parrots'  eggs,  that 
they  may  accompany  and  serve  him  in  the  invisible  world." 
The  King  of  Yoruba's  boast  was  that  his  wives,  linked  hand 
in  hand,  would  reach  entirely  across  the  kingdom. 

After  passing  through  a  number  of  smaller  places  they 
arrived  at  Kiama,  capital  of  a  district  of  the  same  name,  and 
containing  thirty  thousand  inhabitants.  Clapperton  was 
well  received  here,  and  the  king  soon  visited  him  with 
the  most  singular  train  ever  seen  by  a  European.  Six  young 
girls,  without  any  apparel  except  a  fillet  on  the  forehead  and 
a  string  of  beads  round  the  waist,  carrying  each  three  light 
spears,  ran  by  the  side  of  his  horse,  keeping  pace  with  it  at 
full  gallop.  "  Their  light  form,  the  vivacity  of  their  eyes, 
and  the  ease  with  which  they  appeared  to  fly  over  the 
ground  made  them  appear  something  more  than  mortal." 
On  the  king's  entrance  the  young  ladies  laid  down  their 
spears,  wrapped  themselves  in  blue  mantles,  and  attended 
on  his  majesty.  On  his  taking  leave  they  discarded  their 
attire,  he  mounted  his  horse,  "  and  away  went  the  most  ex- 
traordinary cavalcade  I  ever  saw  in  my  life,"  says  Clapper- 
ton.  Yarro,  the  king,  was  extremely  accommodating,  and 
no  difficulty  was  found  in  proceeding  onward  to  Wawa,  a 
city  containing  eighteen  thousand  inhabitants,  enriched  by 
the  constant  passage  of  the  Houssa  caravans. 

Clapperton  next  entered  Nyffe,  a  country  which  had  been 
always  reported  to  him  as  one  of  the  most  industrious  and 
flourishing  in  Africa,  but  he  found  it,  as  he  had  been  fore- 
warned by  the  King  of  Yoruba,  a  prey  to  desolating  civil 
war. 

Amid  this  desolation  two  towns,  Koolfu  and  Kufu,  being 
walled  and  situated  on  the  high  road  of  the  Houssa  cara- 
vans, had  protected  themselves  in  some  measure  from  the 
common  calamity  and  were  still  flourishing  seats  of  trade. 
Merchants  halted  for  some  time  at  Koolfu  as  a  rule,  and 
those  from  Bornou  seldom  went  farther.  IMosUmh  religion 
was  the  most  prevalent,  but  it  had  not  yet  molded  society 
into  the   usual   gloomy  monotony,  nor  had  it  succeeded  in 


156  The  Flaming  Torch 

secluding  or  subjecting  the  female  sex,  who,  on  the  con- 
trary, were  the  most  active  agents  in  every  mercantile  trans- 
action. Our  traveler  knew  twenty-one  female  brokers, 
living  at  the  same  time  in  one  house,  who  went  about  con- 
tinually from  market  to  market.  Many  had  amassed  con- 
siderable wealth,  and  were  persons  of  great  consequence.  The 
Koran  does  not  seem  to  have  much  embarrassed  the  Kool- 
fuans.  Tiieir  only  mode  of  studying  it  was  to  have  the 
characters  written  with  a  black  substance  on  a  piece  of 
board,  then  to  wash  them  off  and  drink  the  water  ;  and 
when  asked  by  our  traveler  what  spiritual  benefit  could  be 
derived  from  the  mere  swallowing  of  dirty  water,  tliey  indig- 
nantly retorted,  "  What  I  do  you  call  the  name  of  God  dirty 
water?" 

Clapperton  passed  next  through  Kotongkora  and  Guari, 
two  states  which,  united  in  a  league  with  Cubbi  and  Youri, 
had  shaken  off  the  yoke  of  the  Fellatas.  Guari,  strongly  sit- 
uated among  hills,  could  bring  a  thousand  horse  into  the 
field.  He  then  entered  Zeg-zeg,  a  Fellata  country,  which, 
especially  around  Zaria,  its  capital,  seems  to  be  one  of  the 
very  finest  in  all  Africa.  Zaria,  like  many  other  African 
cities,  might  be  considered  as  a  district  of  country  surrounded 
with  walls.  When  the  captain  entered  he  saw  for  some  time 
only  fields  of  grain,  with  the  tops  of  houses  rising  behind 
them  ;  still  such  was  its  extent  that  its  population  was  said 
to  exceed  that  of  Kano,  and  to  amount  to  at  least  fifty  thou- 
sand. From  Zaria,  he  soon  reached  his  old  quarters  at  Kano, 
but  he  unfortunately  found  that  great  city  in  a  slate  of  dread- 
ful agitation.  There  was  war  on  every  side  ;  hostilities  had 
been  declared  between  the  King  of  Bornou  and  the  Fellatas  ; 
the  provinces  of  Zamfra  and  Goobur  were  in  open  insurrec- 
tion ;  the  Tuaricks  threatened  an  inroad  ;  in  short,  there  was 
not  a  quarter  to  which  the  merchants  dare  send  a  caravan. 

At  the  sultan's  suggestion  Clapperton  went  to  Soccatoo, 
but  there  they  found  that  peculiar  jealousies  had  arisen 
among  the  African  princes.  They  dreaded  some  ambitious 
design  in  these  repeated  expeditions  sent  by   England,  for 


In  Darkest  Africa  157 

that  men  should  undertake  such  long  journe}-s  out  of  mere 
curiosity  the\'  could  never  imagine.  The  sultan  accordingly 
had  received  a  letter  from  the  court  of  Bornou,  warning  him 
that,  by  this  very  mode  of  sending  embassies  and  presents 
which  tlie  English  were  now  following  toward  the  states  of 
central  Africa,  they  had  made  themselves  masters  of  India, 
and  trampled  on  all  its  native  princes.  The  writer,  there- 
fore, gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  Clapperton  should  immedi- 
ately be  put  to  death.  An  alarm  had,  in  fact,  been  spread 
throughout  Soccatoo  that  the  English  were  coming  to  invade 
Houssa. 

The  sultan  demanded  a  sight  of  the  letter  which  Clapper- 
ton  was  conveying  to  the  King  of  Bornou,  and  when  this  was 
refused  he  seized  it  by  violence.  Lander  was  induced  by 
false  pretenses  to  bring  the  baggage  from  Kano  to  Soccatoo, 
when  forcible  possession  was  taken  of  six  muskets.  The 
captain  loudly  protested  against  these  proceedings,  declar- 
ing them  to  be  the  basest  robbery  and  a  breach  of  faith. 

Clapperton  had  until  this  period  been  able  to  resist  all  the 
baneful  influences  of  an  African  climate.  He  had  when  over- 
come with  heat  and  fatigue,  in  hunting  at  Magaria,  lain  down 
on  a  damp  spot  in  the  open  air,  and  was  soon  after  seized 
with  dysentery,  which  continued  to  assume  more  alarming 
symptoms.  Indeed,  after  the  seizure  of  the  letter  to  the 
Sultan  of  Bornou  he  was  never  seen  to  smile,  and  in  his  sleep 
was  heard  addressing  loud  reproaches  to  the  Arabs.  Unable 
to  rise  from  bed  and  deserted  by  all  his  African  friends,  who 
saw  him  no  longer  a  favorite  at  court,  he  was  watched  with 
tender  care  by  his  faithful  servant  Lander.  He  survived 
some  days,  and  appeared  even  to  rally  a  little  ;  but  one 
morning  Lander  was  alarmed  by  a  peculiar  rattling  sound  in 
his  throat,  and,  hastening  to  the  bedside,  found  him  sitting 
up  and  staring  wildly  around  ;  some  indistinct  words  quivered 
on  his  lips  ;  he  strove,  but  ineffectually,  to  give  them  utter- 
ance, and  expired  without  a  struggle  or  a  sigh.  Lander, 
after  vainly  endeavoring  to  continue  Clapperton's  work,  re- 
turned to  England,  where  he  arrived  the  30th  of  April,  1828. 


158 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  XI 

In  Campbell^s  Footsteps 

iHOMPSON,  who  in  1823  followed  the  foot- 
steps of  Campbell  in  southern  Africa, 
found  it  in  a  state  of  great  danger  and 
alarm.  Rumors  poured  in  of  an  immense 
host  of  black  warriors  coming  from,  the 
north  and  the  east,  who  were  said  to  be 
plundering  and  destro}'ing  ever}'thing  be- 
fore them.  They  had  already  sacked  Ku- 
reechane  ;  and,  being  repulsed  from  Melita, 
capital  of  the  Wanketzens,  were  marching 
directly  upon  Old  Lattakoo,  whence,  it  was  apprehended, 
they  would  advance  to  the  modern  cit}'.  It  was  added  that 
they  were  cannibals,  and  w^ere  led  by  a  giantess  with  one  eye; 
but,  amid  all  this  exaggeration  and  falsehood,  the  reality  of  the 
danger  was  undoubted.  The  Bechuanas  immediately  sum.- 
moned  a  peetso,  or  council,  and  formed  the  manly  resolution 
of  going  out  to  meet  the  invader;  but  all  who  knew  them 
were  aware  that  they  would  fight  only  in  ambuscade,  and. 
would  take  to  flight  as  soon  as  the  enemy  should  make  a 
serious  attack.  The  missionaries,  in  this  extremity,  made 
great  exertions  to  save  the  nation.  One  of  them  hastened 
back  to  implore  the  aid  of  the  Griquas,  a  people  bordering 
on  the  English  colony,  and  who  had  learned  the  use  of  fire- 
arms from  the  Europeans.  Mr.  Thompson  and  another 
went  out  to  trace  and  report  the  progress  of  this  formidable 
inroad.  On  reaching  Old  Lattakoo  they  found  it  silent  and 
uninhabited,  like  the  most  desolate  wilderness,  while  the 
pots  boiling  on  the  fires  showed  that  its  desertion  was 
recent  and  that  the  enemy  were  probably  at  a  very  short 
distance.  Notwithstanding,  they  continued  to  ride  on,  till, 
arriving  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  their  guide  cried  out,  "The 


In  Darkest  Africa  161 

Mantatees  !"  who  were,  in  fact,  seen  moving  in  an  immense 
mass  along  the  valley  beneath.  It  was  necessarj'  to  put 
spurs  to  their  horses  in  order  to  escape  the  hazard  of  being 
surrounded. 

The  arrival  of  Thompson  at  Lattakoo  spread  a  general 
alarm  ;  for  so  rapid  was  the  Mantatee  march  that  only  a 
little  time  coukl  elapse  before  they  \\ould  reach  the  cit}-. 
The  queen,  with  her  female  attendants  and  the  principal 
chiefs,  rushed  into  the  house  to  ask  the  advice  of  the  mis- 
sionaries in  this  fearful  crisis.  The  general  opinion  was  in 
favor  of  flight.  Even  the  warriors,  who  had  been  poisoning 
their  arrows  and  dancing  the  war  dance  whole  nights  with- 
out intermission,  gave  up  all  hopes  of  successful  resistance, 
and  were  preparing  to  follow  the  long  files  of  oxen  on  w'hich 
the  inhabitants  were  already  placing  their  most  valuable 
effects.  Suddenly  a  cloud  of  dust  was  seen  in  the  south, 
which  on  its  nearer  approach  announced  the  first  division  of 
Griqua  horse  coming  to  their  aid.  The  allies  were  received 
with  great  joy,  many  oxen  were  killed  and  roasted,  and  even 
at  this  critical  moment  the  two  i^arties  gave  themselves  up 
to  feasting  and  jollity.  Their  security  increased  when  notice 
was  received  that  the  Mantatees  still  remained  at  Old  Lat- 
takoo, consuming  the  cattle  and  provisions  which  they  had 
found  in  that  place.  Several  of  the  missionaries  then  set 
out  to  endeavor  to  open  negotiations.  On  coming  within 
sight  of  the  enemy  they  rode  forward  in  a  peaceful  manner, 
inviting  them  by  signs  to  a  conference,  when  instant!}'  that 
savage  host  raised  a  hideous  yell  and  rushed  forward  so 
rapidly,  throwing  their  spears  and  clubs,  that  the  Christian 
plenipotentiaries  found  the  utmost  difficult}'  in  galloping  out 
of  their  reach. 

On  the  following  morning  the  allied  forces  offered   battle 

to  the  vast    army  of   the   Mantatees.     "Their   aspect   was 

truly  frightful,"   Thompson   records.     "  They  were    almost 

quite  black",  with  only  a  girdle  around  their  loins  ;  their  iieads 

were  crowned  with    plumes  of   ostrich  feathers;    they  had 

numerous  brass   rings  about  their  necks  and  legs,  and  were 
1  1 


162  The  Flaming  Torch 

armed  with  spears,  javelins,  battle-axes,  and  clubs.  The 
whole  force,  which  was  supposed  to  amount  to  at  least  forty 
thousand,  rushed  forward  in  an  extended  line,  endeavoring 
to  inclose  the  little  troop  opposed  to  them.  The  Bechuanas 
gave  way  as  soon  as  they  were  seriously  attacked  ;  the 
Griquas,  on  the  contrary,  kept  up  a  close  fire,  which  stunned 
the  enem}',  who  still,  however,  continued  to  advance.  The 
horsemen  galloped  back  to  some  distance,  then  alighted 
and  again  alternately  fired  and  retreated,  repeating  this 
maneuver  for  several  miles.  The  Mantatees  pressed  on  with 
the  utmost  fury,  confident,  if  they  could  once  come  to  close 
quarters,  of  annihilating  in  an  instant  the  handful  of  troops 
opposed  to  them;  but  finding  that  all  their  efforts  were  vain, 
and  seeing  their  bravest  warriors  falling  rapidly,  they  paused 
and  began  slowly  to  retire.  The  Griquas  pursued,  but  were 
several  times  exposed  to  extreme  danger  by  the  enem}-  turn- 
ing suddenly  round  and  renewing  the  combat.  At  length 
the  Mantatees  set  fire  to  Lattakoo  and  retreated  through 
the  flames.  The  missionaries  were  now  deeply  shocked  by 
the  barbarous  conduct  of  the  Bechuanas,  who,  after  their 
pusillanimous  behavior  in  the  field,  began  not  only  to  plunder, 
but  to  butcher  the  wounded  as  well  as  the  women  and  chil- 
dren left  on  the  field." 

The  name  Mantatee,  which  signifies  wanderer,  applies  in 
no  other  respect  to  this  desolating  horde.  They  were  a 
Kaffir  tribe  inhabiting  the  country  near  Cape  Natal,  along 
the  lower  course  of  the  river  Mapoota.  They  were  impelled 
to  this  inroad  in  consequence  of  having  been  driven  from 
their  own  possessions  by  the  Zulus,  who  on  that  occasion 
were  led  to  victory  by  King  Chaka,  who  could  arm  a  hun- 
dred thousand  fighting  men,  and  had  fifteen  thousand  con- 
stantly ready  for  war.  A  small  English  settlement  was 
formed  on  his  maritime  border,  and  was  encouraged  by  that 
powerful  chief  with  a  view  to  commercial  advantages  ;  but 
of  course  much  precaution  was  required  in  dealing  with  a 
potentate  who  commanded  so  many  savage  bows  and  spears. 

The  Mantatees  after  their  defeat   separated   into  several 


In  Darkest  Africa  163 

detachments,  one  of  which  settled  among  the  Kureechanes, 
while  anothei  dvanced  against  the  Kaffirs,  whom  they  de- 
feated, and  part  of  whose  territory  they  afterward  continued 
to  occupy  and  plunder. 

The  British  government  were  still  indefatigable  in  their 
exertions  to  explore  Africa.  Major  Laing,  who  distin- 
guished himself  in  the  Ashantee  war,  and  in  the  short  ex- 
cursion already  mentioned  toward  the  source  of  the  Niger, 
undertook  to  penetrate  to  Timbuctoo,  which,  from  the  first 
era  of  modern  discovery,  has  been  regarded  as  the  most 
prominent  city  of  central  Africa.  He  succeeded,  on  the 
1 8th  of  August,  1826,  in  reaching  this  city,  where  he  re- 
mained for  more  than  a  month.  Several  letters  were  received 
from  him  dated  there  stating  that  it  completely  answered 
his  expectations,  and  that  he  had  found  its  records  copious 
and  interesting  and  had  collected  ample  materials  for  cor- 
recting and  improving  the  geography  of  that  part  of  Africa. 
But  his  departure  was  hastened  by  the  following  circum- 
stance :  Labo,  or  Bello,  Sultan  of  Masina,  having  obtained 
the  supremacy  over  Timbuctoo,  sent  a  letter  to  Osman,  the 
governor,  with  instructions  that  the  Christian,  who  he  un- 
derstood was  expected  there,  should  be  forthwith  expelled 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  leave  him  no  hope  of  ever  returning. 
Laing,  thus  obliged  to  accelerate  his  retreat,  made  an  ar- 
rangement with  Barbooshi,  a  Moorish  merchant,  to  accom- 
pany and  protect  him  in  the  route  by  Sego  to  the  coast, 
which  he  had  determined  to  follow.  Three  days  after  leav'- 
ing  Timbuctoo,  when  the  caravan  was  in  the  heart  of  the 
desert,  this  wretch,  instigated  by  the  basest  avarice,  mur- 
dered in  the  nighttime  the  individual  whom  he  had  under- 
taken to  guard,  taking  possession  of  all  his  effects. 

Another  journey  was  now  announced,  which,  in  the  first 
instance,  strongly  excited  the  public  expectation.  The 
French  savants  proclaimed  throughout  Europe  that  M.  Cail- 
lie,  their  countryman,  animated  by  the  hope  of  a  prize  of- 
fered by  the  Society  of  Geography,  had  journeyed  across 
Africa  from  Sierra  Leone  to  Morocco,  having  passed  through 


164  The  Flaming  Torch 

Jenne  and  Timbuctoo.  There  was  a  grave  doubt,  however, 
in  the  minds  of  many  as  to  the  genuineness  of  this  expedi- 
tion. But  after  a  careful  examination  of  circumstances  we 
are  inclined  to  believe  the  accuracy  of  the  narrative.  There 
seems  good  authority  for  admitting  his  departure  from 
Sierra  Leone,  for  his  having  announced  the  intention  to  un- 
dertake this  journey,  and,  lastly,  for  his  arrival  at  Rabat,  in 
Morocco,  in  the  condition  of  a  distressed,  wayworn  traveler. 
His  statement,  too,  with  all  its  defects,  bears  an  aspect  of 
simplicity  and  good  faith,  and  contains  various  minute  de- 
tails, including  undesigned  coincidences  with  facts  ascer- 
tained from  other  quarters. 

Rene  Caillie  sailed  in  i8i6  from    Rochefort   for  the  Sene- 


Timbuctoo  from  the  North 

gal.  Some  time  after  his  arrival,  having  learned  of  the  depar- 
ture of  Major  Gray's  expedition  for  the  interior,  he  resolved 
to  join  it,  but  the  fatigue  of  walking  over  loose  sand  under 
a  burning  sun  overpowered  him,  and  he  was  happy  to  obtain 
a  water  conveyance  to  Goree.  He  even  left  Africa,  but  re- 
turned in  the  end  of  1818.  Finding  at  Saint  Louis  a  party 
setting  out  with  supplies  for  Major  Gray,  he  joined  them, 
and  arrived  at  Bondou,  but  only  in  time  to  witness  and  share 
the  failure  of  that  expedition. 

Caillie's  health  having  suffered  severely  from  the  fatigues 
of  this  journey,  he  returned  and  spent  some  years  in  France, 
but  in  1824  he  repaired  again  to  the  Senegal  and  resumed 
his  schemes  of  discovery.  With  the  aid  of  M.  Roger,  the 
governor,  he  passed  nearly  a  year  among  the  tribe  of  Moors 


In  Darkest  Africa  165 

c.iUcd  Braknas,  and  conceived  liimsclf  to  have  acquired  such 
a  knowledge  of  tlie  manners  and  rehgion  of  tliat  race  as 
would  fit  him  for  travelinij  in  the  character  of  a  converted 
Mohammedan  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Mecca.  Having  returned 
to  Saint  Louis,  he  solicited  from  two  successive  governors  the 
sum  of  six  thousand  francs,  with  which  he  undertook  to 
reach  Timbuctoo  ;  but  a  deaf  ear  was  turned  to  his  applica- 
tion. He  then  repaired  to  Sierra  Leone,  and  made  the 
same  request  of  General  Turner  and  Sir  Neil  Campbell  ; 
but  these  officers  could  not  be  expected,  without  authorit}^ 
from  home,  to  bestow  such  a  sum  on  a  foreigner  possessing 
no  very  striking  qualifications.  They  received  him  kindl\-, 
however,  and  gave  him  appointments  out  of  which  he  saved 
a  considerable  sum,  when,  stimulated  by  the  prize  of  one 
thousand  francs  offered  by  the  French  Society  of  Geography 
to  any  individual  who  should  succeed  in  reaching  Timbuc- 
too, he  formed  the  spirited  resolution  to  undertake  this  ar- 
duous journey  with  only  the  resources  which  his  slender 
means  could  command. 

On  the  19th  of  April,  1827,  Caillie  set  out  from  K.ikundy 
with  a  small  caravan  of  Mandingoes,  and  after  a  journey  teem- 
ing with  interest  and  adventure  arrived  at  Timbuctoo  (or  as 
he  calls  it  Tembouctou)  on  the  20th  of  April,  1828  ;  but,  al- 
though he  resided  more  than  a  fortnight  there,  his  informa- 
tion regarding  it  is  very  defective.  He  left  Timbuctoo  on 
the  4th  of  May,  and  in  six  daj^s  arrived  at  Aroan,  or  Arouan, 
departing  on  the  19th  of  May,  in  company  with  a  caravan  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty  camels  laden  with  the  productions 
of  Soudan,  with  the  prospect  of  crossing  a  desert  of  ten  days' 
journey  in  which  there  was  scarcely  a  drop  of  water.  Dur- 
ing many  succeeding  marches  water  became  very  scarce,  and 
he  had  much  to  suffer  from  the  insults  and  neglect  of  his 
companions.  They  arrived  at  Fez,  whence  the  adventurer 
found  his  wa\%  though  in  a  wretched  plight,  to  Tangiers. 
He  arrived  there  on  the  i8th  of  August,  1828,  and  M.  Dela- 
porte,  the  vice  consul,  received  and  forwarded  him  to 
France. 


166  The  Flaming  Torch 

In  1817  a  mission  was  sent  by  the  British  government 
to  the  King  of  Ashantee  under  Messrs.  James,  Bowdich,  and 
Hutchinson,  in  order  to  adjust  some  trifling  dissensions. 
Arriving  at  Coomassie  on  the  igth  of  May,  they  were  sur- 
prised at  the  splendid  city,  which  they  state  was  over  four 
miles  in  circumference.  After  some  difficulties  the  business 
was  amicably  arranged. 

Later  the  British  government  of  Cape  Coast  Castle  unfor- 
tunately undertook  to  support  the  Fantees  in  an  attempt  to 
throw  off  the  Ashantee  yoke.  They  were  thus  invoh'ed  in 
hostilities  with  the  latter  people,  whose  sovereign,  in  Janu- 
ary, 1824,  entered  Fantee  with  a  force  of  fifteen  thousand 
men.  Sir  Charles  McCarthy,  newly  appointed  governor, 
being  ill  informed  as  to  the  strength  of  the  army,  marched 
out  to  meet  him  with  a  force  of  scarcely  a  thousand  British, 
supported  by  a  crowd  of  cowardly  and  undisciplined  auxili- 
aries. The  two  armies  met  near  the  boundary  stream  of  the 
Bossompra,  where  the  English,  after  being  deserted  by  their 
native  allies  in  whose  cause  they  had  taken  the  field,  main- 
tained the  contest  for  some  time  with  characteristic  valor, 
till  it  was  discovered  that  through  the  negligence  of  the 
ordnance  keeper  the  supply  of  powder  was  entirely  ex- 
hausted. Thus  deprived  of  the  use  of  firearms  they  were  sur- 
rounded by  the  immensely  superior  numbers  of  a  warlike  and 
desperate  enemy,  and  after  a  fearful  contest,  the  particulars 
of  which  never  fully  transpired,  the  whole  army  either 
perished  on  the  field  or  underwent  the  more  cruel  fate  of 
captivity  in  the  hands  of  this  merciless  foe.  Only  three  of- 
ficers, all  of  whom  were  wounded,  brought  the  dreadful  tale 
to  Cape  Coast  Castle. 


j^iwfTIII^I'7.! 


T'.-}\r~  fT"'*^  "Tf 'TTT^^i'TTinrp  * 


■-<^^^ 


TLhc  2>awn  of  2)a^  in  Hfinca 


CHAPTER  XII 

Livingstone's  Discoveries 

NDER  the  impulse  of  a  divine  pur- 
pose David  Livingstone  went  forth 
in  1840  to  unravel  the  problems  of 
darkest  Africa.  He  had  no  soldiers 
to  accompany  him  and  carried  no 
weapons  for  aggression  or  defense. 
A  firm  belief  that  he  was  doing  the 
Lord's  work,  and  "  good  principles, 
good  manners,  and  good  conduct," 
were  the  only  armor  he  wore,  and 
he  performed  his  task,  of  years  of 
labor  and  privation  nobly  and  well. 

The  whole  civilized  world  to-day  is  familiar  with  the 
labors  of  this  ereat  man  through  the  Dark  Continent ;  I  will, 
therefore,  only  present  a  brief  survey  of  his  travels  and  their 
subsequent  effect  upon  the  development  of  Africa. 

On  the  31st  of  July,  1841,  Livingstone  arrived  at  Kuru- 
man,  the  mission  station  which  had  been  established  by 
Hamilton  and  Moffat  thirty  years  before.  His  idea  of  true 
missionary  work  was  that  of  moral  and  religious  pioneering, 
and  the  education  and  training  of  native  missionaries  to 
develop  and  carry  on  the  work  in  each  district  until  he  had 
covered  the  whole  of  the  unknown  land.  After  two  years 
of  traveling  and  preaching  among  various  tribes  he  selected 
the  valley  of  Mabotso,  two  hundred  miles  northeast  of  Ku- 
ruman,  as  the  location  of  his  first  mission  station.  It  was 
shortly  after  his   settlement    here  that   he   had  his  left   arm 


170  The  Flaming  Torch 

crushed  by  a  Hon.  Livingstone  married  Mary,  a  daughter 
of  Moffat,  the  missionar}',  and  in  1844  estabhshed  her  in  a 
house  which  he  had  partly  erected  with  his  own  hands.  In 
1846  he  removed  forty  miles  farther  north,  and  again  in  1847 
removed  to  Kolabeng,  followed  by  the  Bakwain  tribe  of 
natives  and  their  chief  Sechele.  In  that  year,  accompanied 
by  two  Englishmen,  he  crossed  the  Kalahari  Desert  and 
reached  Lake  Ngami  August  I,  1849.  I'""  April,  1 850,  he 
attempted  to  reach  a  great  chief,  Sebetuane,  who  lived  two 
hundred  miles  beyond  the  lake.  He  was  accompanied  by 
his  wife  and  children  on  this  journey,  but  t'he  latter  were 
seized  with  fever,  and  he  got  no  farther  than  the  lake.  In 
April,  185  I,  he  concluded  to  settle  among  the  Makololo  for 
a  time,  and  with  his  wife  and  Mr.  Oswell  arrived  at  the 
Chobe,  a  southern  tributary  of  the  Zambesi,  and  in  June  of 
that  year  discovered  the  Zambesi  itself.  The  party  left  Chobe 
on  August  13,  and  arrived  at  Cape  Town  in  April,  1852. 

On  June  8,  1852,  Livingstone  left  Cape  Town  for  Lin- 
yanti,  the  capital  of  the  Makololo.  He  arrived  there  May 
23,  1853,  and  was  well  received  by  Sebetuane  and  his  people. 
He  ascended  the  Zambesi  in  search  of  high  land  on  which  to 
establish  a  station,  but  could  find  no  place  free  from  the 
tsetse  insect,  which  is  very  annoying  and  destructive  ;  he 
therefore  determined  to  find  a  route  into  the  interior.  He 
left  Linyanti  November  11,  1853,  •'^^'"^^  ascended  the  Leeba, 
reaching  Lake  Dilolo  February  20,  1 854.  He  crossed  the 
Coanza  on  April  4,  and  reached  the  town  of  Loanda  May 
31.  From  Loanda  he  sent  his  astronomical  observations 
to  the  Cape,  and  an  account  of  his  journey  to  the  Royal 
Geographical  Society  of  London,  by  which  societ}-  he  was 
awarded  its  highest  honor  (gold  medal)  in  May,  1855. 
Leaving  Loanda  September  20,  1854,  Livingstone  visited 
various  Portuguese  settlements,  but,  making  a  detour  to  the 
north,  reached  Lake  Dilolo  June  13,  1855.  Here  he  studied 
the  wonderful  river  system,  and  for  the  first  time  compre- 
hended its  plan  and  the  true  form  of  the  continent.  He 
returned  to  Linyanti  in  the  beginning  of  September. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


171 


He  left  Liiiyanti  November  8,  1855,  and  two  weeks  after- 
ward discovered  the  celebrated  Victoria  Falls  of  the  Zam- 
besi, which  he  decided  were  due  to  an  immense  fissure  run- 
ning right  across  the  bed  of  the  river.  He  reached  Tette 
on  March  2,  1856,  and  after  recuperating  for  six  weeks  pro- 
ceeded to  Kilimane,  arriving  there  May  20,  thus  having 
in  two  and  a  half  years  completed  an  African  journey  un- 


Home  Life  of  the  Makololo 


paralleled    for    its   scientific    results.     On   December   12  he 
reached  England  after  an  absence  of  sixteen  years. 

His  story  is  told  with  characteristic  precision  and  style 
in  his  Missionary  Travels  and  Researches  in  SoutJi  Africa 
(1857).  !'■'  1857  ^1^  severed  his  connection  with  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  and  in  February,  1 858,  accepted  an  ap- 
pointment as  "  her  majesty's  consul  at  Kilimane  for  the 
East  Coast  and  the  independent  districts  in  the  interior,  and 


172  The  Flaming  Torch 

as  commander  of  aii  expedition  for  exploring  eastern  and 
central  Africa."  This  was  known  as  the  Zambesi  Expedi- 
tion, and  sailed  from  Liverpool  March  lo,  1858,  reaching 
the  mouth  of  the  Zambesi  May  14.  The  party  reached 
Tette  on  the  Zambesi  in  a  steam  launch  September  8,  and 
passed  the  remainder  of  the  year  in  surveying  Tette  and  the 
Kebrabasa  rapids. 

The  year  1859  ^^^^  chiefly  spent  in  exploring  the  river 
Shire  and  Lake  Nyassa,  and  in  i860  much  of  Livingstone's 
time  was  occupied  in  returning  the  Makalolo  natives  to  their 
homes.  The  river  Rovuma  was  next  explored  by  Living- 
stone in  his  new  vessel,  the  Pioneer,  for  about  thirty  miles, 
and  the  missionaries,  Bishop  Mackenzie,  and  a  party  sent  out 
by  the  Universities  Mission,  proceeded  up  the  Shire  to 
Chimbari's,  where  they  found  the  slave  trade  in  full  blast  and 
the  whole  district  desolated  by  its  cruel  ravages.  On  July 
15  Livingstone  started  on  a  tour  of  the  country  with  the 
bishop,  accompanied  by  native  carriers.  They  met  several 
bands  of  slaves  whom  they  were  successful  in  having  set  free. 
After  he  had  aided  the  missionary  party  in  settling  in  the 
highlands  of  Magomoro  Livingstone  turned  his  attention 
again  to  Lake  Nyassa  and  spent  from  August  to  November 
in  its  further  exploration.  At  the  mouth  of  the  Zambesi,  on 
January  30,  1862,  he  again  met  his  wife  and  the  ladies  of  the 
mission.  Tn  April  of  the  same  year  the  greatest  misfortune 
which  had  happened  to  him  up  to  this  time  occurred  in  the 
sudden  illness  and  death  of  his  wife. 

Livingstone  had  had  a  river  steamer  built  at  his  own 
expense.  This  was  the  Lady  Nyassa,  and  had  been  sent  out 
in  sections.  He  had  this  vessel  conveyed  to  the  Rovuma, 
up  which  river  he  managed  to  steam  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
six  miles,  rocks  preventing  farther  progress.  He  returned  to 
the  Zambesi  in  January,  1863,  and  was  much  troubled  when 
he  learned  that  the  slave  traffic  was  causing  greater  misery 
and  desolation  than  ever.  He  concluded  that  the  Portuguese 
ofificials  were  responsible  for  it,  and  was  not  slow  in  making 
his  convictions  known. 


In  Darkest  Africa  173 

Once  again  he  returned  to  Lake  Nyassa  and  sailed  some 
distance  up  the  western  shore  and  then  northward  as  far  as 
the  watershed  that  separates  the  Loangwa  from  the  rivers 
that  run  into  tlie  hd<e.  At  this  juncture  an  order  was  re- 
ceived from  the  British  government  recalhng  the  expedition 
by  the  end  of  the  year.  At  the  end  of  April,  1864,  Living- 
stone reached  Zanzibar  in  his  steamer,  and  on  the  30th  he 
started  out  with  nine  natives  and  four  Europeans  for  Bom- 
bay, and  on  the  23d  of  July  he  arrived  in  England. 

Although  the  results  of  the  various  expeditions  to  Africa 
had  not  at  this  time  impressed  the  British  government  with 
the  importance  of  further  and  immediate  explorations  of  the 
interior,  the  doctor  was  again  appointed  as  her  majesty's 
consul  in  central  .Vfrica,  but  without  a  salar\',  and  the  gov- 
ernment only  contributed  the  meager  sum  of  $2,500  toward 
the  expenses  of  the  expedition,  the  principal  funds  being 
subscribed  by  private  friends.  However,  later  on  the  gov- 
ernment granted  him  a  further  sum  of  $5,000,  and  the  Geo- 
graphical Society  contributed  $2,500  to  enable  him  to 
continue  his  work  of  discovery.  The  principal  objects  of 
this  expedition  were  the  investigation  of  the  watershed  in 
the  region  between  Nyassa  and  Tanganyika  and  the  sup- 
pression of  the  slave  traffic  by  civilizing  influences.  Living- 
stone at  first  thought  that  the  problem  of  the  Nile  had  been 
almost  solved  by  Speke,  Baker,  and  Burton  ;  but  later  he 
conceived  an  idea  that  the  Nile  sources  were  farther  south, 
and  his  failure  in  his  last  journey  of  discovery  is  well  known. 

Leaving  England,  Livingstone  again  traveled  by  way  of 
Bombay,  and  arrived  at  Zanzibar  January  28,  1866.  He 
reached  Rovuma  March  22,  and  started  for  the  interior  April  4, 
accompanied  by  thirteen  sepoys,  ten  Johanna  men,  nine  Afri- 
can boys  from  Bombay,  and  four  boys  from  the  Shire  region, 
besides  c.iniels,  buffaloes,  mules,  and  donkeys.  One  by  one 
these  attendants  died  until  he  was  left  with  only  four  or  five. 

After  rounding  the  south  end  of  Lake  Nyassa  he  went  in 
a  northwesterly  direction  for  the  south  end  of  Lake  Tangan- 
yika, over  much  countr\'  which  had  not  yet  been  explored. 


174  The  Flaming  Torch 

On  December  15  he  crossed  the  Loangwa,  but  on  Christ- 
mas Day,  alas !  a  great  misfortune  befell  him,  for  the  only 
four  goats  he  had  left  were  lost,  and  in  January  his  troubles 
seemed  to  reach  their  culminating  point  when  his  medicine 
chest  was  stolen.  This  was  at  a  time  when  he  was  stricken 
with  fever,  dysentery,  and  ulcers. 

On  the  28th  of  January  the  Chambeze  was  crossed,  and 
the  south  end  of  Tanganyika  was  reached  March  31. 
After  visiting  Lake  Mofwa  and  the  Lualaba,  which  he  firmly 
believed  was  the  upper  part  of  the  Nile,  he  discovered  Lake 
Bangweolo.  This  was  July  15.  Then,  proceeding  up  the 
west  coast  of  Tanganyika,  he  reached  Ujiji  on  March  14, 
1869.  He  was  sorely  in  need  of  supplies  now,  and,  to  make 
matters  worse,  some  which  had  been  forwarded  to  him  had 
been  purloined  en  route.  But,  notwithstanding  all  his  mis- 
fortunes, he  recrossed  Tanganyika  in  July  and  tried  vainly 
for  a  year  to  reach  and  cross  the  Lualaba  through  the  coun- 
try of  the  Munyuema.  Severe  sickness,  treacherous  natives, 
and  cunning  slave  hunters  frustrated  all  his  efforts.  On  the 
29th  of  March,  1871,  however,  he  managed  to  reach  the 
Lualaba  at  the  town  of  Nyangwe,  where  he  remained  four 
months  vainly  endeavoring  to  procure  a  canoe  to  take  him 
across.  Here  it  was  that  Livingstone  relates  that  he  thought 
he  "  was  in  hell,"  when  a  semisavage  band  of  Arab  thieves 
of  human  flesh  and  blood — the  name  of  slave  raiders  is  too 
dignified  for  such  degenerate  scoundrels — rushed  into  the 
public  market  place  without  a  moment's  warning  and  com- 
menced to  shoot  down  the  poor  women,  hundreds  being 
killed  or  drowned  while  trying  to  escape.  "  I  felt  inclined 
to  shoot  the  rascals  down,"  says  the  doctor,  "  but  I  was 
powerless  and  could  only  look  on  and  view  the  horrible  work 
with  my  own  eyes."  The  vivid  description  of  this  occur- 
rence which  he  sent  to  England  at  the  time  aroused  the  in- 
dignation of  the  public  to  such  a  degree  that  very  deter- 
mined efforts  were  made  to  induce  the  Sultan  of  Zanzibar  to 
suppress  the  slave  trade. 

Ill    in    body    and    wearied    in     mind    Livingstone    made 


o 


In  Darkest  Africa  177 

his  way  back  to  Ujiji,  arriving  there  October  13.  Five 
days  after  his  arrival  he  was  foiMid  by  one  wliom  destiny 
seems  to  have  chosen  for  the  work  of  Africa's  redemption — ■ 
Henry  Morton  Stanley.  The  doctor  records  that  he  was 
completely  restored  by  the  timely  arrival  of  Air.  Stanley — 
the  richly  laden  almoner  of  Mr.  James  Gordon  Bennett. 
Stanley  explored  with  Livingstone  the  north  end  of  Tan- 
ganyika and  proved  conclusively  that  the  Lusize  runs  into 
and  not  out  of  it.  They  started  for  Unyanyembe  at  the 
end  of  the  year.  There  Stanley  supplied  Livingstone  with 
many  articles  of  necessity  and  comfort,  and  bid  him  adieu 
on  the  15th  of  March,  1872.  Five  months  afterward 
Livingstone  was  provided  by  Stanley  with  a  troop  of  fifty- 
seven  picked  men  and  boys,  and  on  August  15  he  started 
out  for  Lake  Bangweolo,  proceeding  along  the  east  side  of 
Tanganyika.  In  January,  1873,  the  party  got  into  the 
almost  interminable  jungle  on  the  east  of  Lake  Bangweolo, 
Livingstone's  object  being  to  go  south  and  then  west  to 
find  the  "  fountains."  The  courageous  doctor  was  already 
suffering  from  his  old  enemy,  dysentery,  and  the  constant 
wading  in  water  under  a  never-ceasing  downpour  of  rain 
made  matters  worse.  At  last,  in  the  middle  of  April,  he 
could  go  no  farther,  and  very  reluctantly  submitted  to  be 
carried  on  a  litter.  And  thus  it  was  that  he  reached  Chi- 
tambo's  village  on  the  Lulim.ala,  in  Ilala,  on  the  29th  of 
April. 

The  last  entry  in  Livingstone's  journal  is :  "  April  27. 
Knocked  up  quite  and  remain — recover — sent  to  buy  milch 
goats.  We  are  on  the  banks  of  the  Molilamo."  On  April 
30  he  wound  up  his  watch  with  considerable  difficulty,  and 
early  on  the  morning  of  May  I  the  "  Great  Master,"  as  the 
men  called  him,  was  found  kneeling  by  his  bedside — dead. 
His  faithful  bearers  preserved  the  worn-out  body  as  well  as 
they  could,  and,  after  wrapping  it  up  carefully,  carried  it, 
with  all  his  papers,  notebooks,  instruments,  and  other  effects 
across  Africa  to  Zanzibar.  On  April  18,  1874,  the  remains 
of  this  truly  great  and  good  man  were  laid  to  rest  in  West- 
12 


178  The  Flaming  Torch 

minster  Abbey.  The  Last  Journals  of  David  Livingstone 
171  Central  Africa  contain  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
records  of  an  explorer's  experiences  ever  published.  His 
old  friend,  Horace  Waller,  edited  this  work  faithfully  and 
well,  and  adorned  it  with  a  fitting  tribute  to  the  doctor's 
memory.  "  How  often,"  he  says,  "  shall  we  see  in  the 
pages  of  this  concluding  chapter  of  his  life  that  unwavering 
determination  which  was  preeminently  the  great  character- 
istic of  David  Livingstone!  Naturally  endowed  with  un- 
usual powers  of  endurance,  able  to  concentrate  faculties  of 
no  ordinary  kind  upon  whatever  he  took  in  hand,  and  with 
a  dread  of  exaggeration  which  at  times  almost  militated 
against  the  importance  of  some  of  his  greatest  discoveries,  it 
may  be  doubted  if  ever  geographer  went  forth  strengthened 
with  so  much  true  power.  Let  us  add  to  these  words  a 
sincere  trust  that  slavery,  the  '  great  open  sore  of  the  world,' 
as  he  called  it,  might,  under  God's  good  guidance,  receive 
healing  at  his  hands,  and  a  fervent  hope  that  others  would 
follow  him  after  he  had  removed  those  difficulties  which  are 
comprised  in  a  profound  ignorance  of  the  physical  features 
of  a  new  countr\%  and  we  have  the  marching  orders  of  him 
who  left  us  in  August,  1865." 

David  Livingstone  unconsciously  gave  life  to  a  silent,  un- 
seen force  of  destiny,  which  has  within  about  a  dozen  years 
divided  the  major  part  of  Africa  among  the  leading  powers  of 
Europe. 

It  is  in  the  region  of  the  great  river  Shire  and  the  lakes 
that  the  change  has  been  most  complete,  and  this  is  emphat- 
ically Livingstone's  domain.  Since  this  man  with  a  divine 
purpose  passed  away  the  progress  made  in  this  territory 
almost  surpasses  comprehension.  Exploration,  geography, 
commerce,  missionary  enterprise,  and  the  suppression  of  the 
slave  trade  have  all  advanced  to  a  stage  of  progress  not 
thought  of  before. 

"  Livingstone  was  like  Samson,"  says  the  Rev.  W.  G. 
Blaikie.  "  He  did  more  by  his  death  than  by  all  the  efforts 
of  his  life.     That  picture  of  the  weary,  worn-out  man  found 


In  Darkest  Africa  179 

dead  in  the  attitude  of  j)ra}-er  in  the  rude  hut  beside  Chi- 
tambo's  village  thrilled  the  civilized  world  and  roused  its 
noblest  energies." 

Undoubtedly  the  geographical  problems  of  central  Africa 
had  great  attraction  for  Livingstone,  but  who  can  say  that 
he  was  not  a  true  missionary,  believing  that  the  Bible  held 
the  key  to  the  redemption  of  Africa  and  its  people?  His 
efforts  in  familiarizing  himself  with  the  hideousness  of  the 
slave  trade  or  the  source  of  the  Nile  were  all  with  the 
ultimate  purpose  of  benefiting  the  people  he  loved  and 
pitied. 

Sailing  up  the  river  Shire  in  September,  1858,  Living- 
stone found  Lake  Nyassa,  and  subsequent  observations  con- 
vinced him  that  the  valley  of  the  Shire  and  Lake  Nyassa 
were  the  key  to  central  Africa.  To-day  the  world  acknowl- 
edges that  his  convictions  were  correct.  He  viewed  in 
imagination  the  accomplishment  of  the  object  of  the  Zambesi 
expedition,  the  valley  covered  with  mission  stations  and 
trading  settlements,  and  the  end  of  the  horrible  traffic  in 
human  flesh.  But  alas  for  the  good  man's  dream!  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  fifteen  years  afterward,  the  outlook  was  even 
blacker  than  before.  The  one  missionary  in  the  district 
under  Bishop  Tozer  left  the  continent  for  the  island  of 
Zanzibar,  and  the  slave  trade  was  carried  on  to  even  a 
greater  extent  and  with  more  cruelty  than  ever.  The  slave 
traders  were  the  ones  who  had  really  been  enriched  by  his 
discoveries.  But  who  can  measure  the  workings  of  that 
wonderful  machinery  which  Livingstone  set  in  motion 
during  the  past  thirty-three  years?  His  beautiful  dream  is 
nearer  realization  than  ever.  The  Dark  Continent  is  dark 
no  longer.  The  problem  of  its  water  ways  has  been  solved, 
and  its  luxuriant  valleys  and  hills  explored  ;  the  natives  are 
being  rapidly  Christianized,  and  the  slave  trade  has  become 
illegal  and  narrowed  down  to  a  point  where  it  will  soon  be 
wiped  out  altogether  and  the  terrible  sore  shall  have  been 
healed  forever  ! 

During    Livingstone's    sojourn    in    Africa    several    brave 


180  The  Flaming  Torch 

travelers  were  exploring  other  parts  of  the  continent. 
James  Richardson,  who  was  commissioned  by  the  British 
government  in  1849  ^^  command  an  expedition  from 
Tripoli  to  the  central  part  of  Africa,  accompanied  by  Drs. 
Barth  and  Overweg,  succeeded  in  penetrating  to  Mourzouk, 
and  after  crossing  the  Sahara  and  visiting  the  hilly  oasis  of 
Azben,  reached  the  Soudan  midway  between  Lake  Tchad 
and  the  Niger  in  185  i.  But  both  Richardson  and  Overweg 
succumbed  to  the  climate  and  died  ere  the  journey  was 
completed.  Dr.  Barth,  however,  persevered,  and  was  the 
first  traveler  to  give  a  correct  description  of  the  western 
Soudan.  In  1854  this  intrepid  traveler  explored  the  Niger 
and  visited  Timbuctoo.  Dr.  Vogel  was  sent  out  by  the 
government  to  assist  him,  and  in  a  year  afterward  they  had 
fixed  the  altitude  of  Lake  Tchad  and  the  lavitude  of  Kouka. 
Their  operations  embraced  more  than  twenty-five  degrees 
of  latitude  and  as  much  of  longitude.  Many  French 
travelers  did  much  to  solve  various  geographical  problems 
in  northwestern  Africa  from  1862,  and  Monstier  and 
Zweifel  in  1880  discovered  the  source  of  the  Niger.  Dr. 
Gustav  Nachtigal  investigated  the  central  division  of  the 
continent  from  1869  to  1874,  and  Dr.  Schweinfurth's  travels 
in  1868-71  in  unexplored  regions  have  enriched  our  store  of 
knowledge  regarding  this  land.  In  1874-75  Lieutenant 
Cameron  surveyed  the  lower  half  of  Lake  Tanganyika  and 
walked  across  tropical  Africa  from  east  to  west.  In  1877-79 
Serpa  Pinto  crossed  Africa  from  Benguela  to  Durban  in 
Natal.  In  1880  Mr.  Joseph  Thomson  explored  the  south, 
between  Nyassa  and  Tanganyika,  and  in  1884  he  made  his 
memorable  journey  from  Mombasa  by  Kilima-Njaro  and 
Kenia  across  Masai  Land  to  the  Victoria  Nyanza.  In  1884, 
Sir  Harry  Johnston  camped  on  Kilima-Njaro  and  ascended 
the  main  peak  to  a  height  of  sixteen  thousand  two  hundred 
feet.  In  1885,  when  Dr.  G.  A.  Fisher  attempted  to  relieve 
Emin  Pasha,  he  succeeded  in  reaching  Lake  Barring©  in  the 
north.  In  the  same  year  Grenfell  discovered  the  Mobanghi, 
the  great  northern  tributary  of  the  Congo,  and  sailed  up  it 


In  Darkest  Africa  181 

to  within  two  hundred  miles  of  the  point  reached  by  Dr. 
Junker,  afterward  proceeding  westward  down  the  Welle 
Makua. 

In  1887,  while  Stanley's  expedition  was  on  its  journey 
of  rescue,  Emin  Pasha  reported  successful  explorations  of 
the  Albert  Nyanza.  Pogge,  Wissman,  and  Ludwig  Wolf 
explored  the  middle  Congo  district  from  1881  to  1886,  and 
made  it  evident  that  the  Kwango,  Kassai,  Sankuru,  and 
Lake  Leopold  belong  to  one  magnificent  hydrographic 
system  flowing  through  the  Kwa  to  the  Congo  at  Kwa 
Mouth.  The  Ogowe  water  courses,  first  discovered  by  Du 
Chaillu  in  1 850,  were  ascended  by  Nallcn  to  Sope.  These,  in 
1873,  were  surveyed  by  Campagne  du  Niarche  to  Ivindo.  Dr. 
Oscar  Lenz  visited  this  district  in  1874,  and  afterward  trans- 
ferred his  operations  there,  crossing  from  Morocco  to  Tim- 
buctoo  in  1880,  upon  which  journey  he  made  a  technical 
survey  of  the  route  across  the  western  Sahara.  Lenz 
afterward  ascended  the  Congo  to  Nyangwe  and  crossed  the 
continent  from  the  mouth  of  that  river  to  the  Zambesi. 

The  record  of  explorations  in  South  Central  Africa  would  be 
incomplete  if  I  did  not  mention  the  important  work  accom- 
plished by  my  friend,  Dr.  Eniil  Holub,  the  eminent  scientist 
and  beloved  [)hysician.  In  token  of  his  notable  services  to 
the  cause  of  science  and  Christian  civilization  he  has  been 
honored  with  a  larger  number  of  distinguished  decorations 
than  any  other  man  in  Europe.  His  contributions  to  the 
royal  societies  and  museums  of  Europe  and  America,  the 
collections  principally  of  his  second  expedition,  comprising 
over  forty  thousand  specimens  in  zoology  and  ornithology 
and  a  vast  number  in  geology  and  botany,  occupied  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  square  feet  of  the  Crystal  Palace 
in  Vienna,  and  required  an  entire  railway  train  for  their 
transportation. 

For  his  first  expedition,  in  1872,  Dr.  Holub  provided  for 
the  entire  expense  by  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  the 
Kimberley  diamond  fields.  He  made  extensive  studies  of 
fourteen  different   tribes,  among   them    the    Bushmen,  the 


182 


The  Flaming  Torch 


original  inhabitants,  now  extinct.  From  the  discovery  of 
engravings  remaining  on  rocks  and  the  paintings  in  caves, 
they  were  of  superior  intelligence,  with  some  knowledge  of 
the  arts.  These  tell  the  story  of  four  distinct  ages.  The 
first  era  is  indicated  by  carvings  of  crude  outlines ;  the 
second  is  characterized  by  more  skill  in  the  execution  of 
details,  while  in  the  third  the  carvings  have  been  so  perfect 
that  it  may  be  justly  called  the  art  age.     The  diversities  of 

twenty  different  spe- 
cies of  antelope  are 
so  clearly  represent- 
ed in  stone  as  to  be 
easily  recognizable, 
while  the  anatomical 
peculiarities  of  vari- 
ous races  are  faith- 
fully delineated.  The 
fact  that  the  fourth 
age  developed  a  re- 
trograde movement 
in  artistic  represen- 
tations is  accounted 
for  by  the  invasion 
of  the  Zulus  and  the 
subjugation  of  the 
Bushmen.  The  indi- 
cations are  that  this 
carving,  on  rock  so 
hard  that  great  diffi- 
culty is  experienced  in  detaching  specimens,  was  done  with 
stone  implements.  In  order  to  discover  if  there  remained 
any  trace  of  artistic  skill  in  the  descendants  of  these  Bush- 
men, the  Hottentots,  Dr.  Holub  placed  clay  in  their  hands 
and  the  best  steel  tools;  but  the  result  resembled  the  rude 
work  of  children  at  play. 

Returning  to  the  diamond  fields,  Dr.  Holub  accumulated 
larger  resources  as  the  reward  of  his  medical  skill,  and  made 


Dr.   Emil  Holub 


In  Darkest  Africa 


183 


\sC- 


',# 


his  second  expedition  northward,  and  after  many  hardships 
and  valuable  geographical,  anthropological,  geological, 
zoological,  and  botanical  discoveries,  went  to  Europe  in 
1879  to  prepare  for  still  more  extensive  explorations.  The 
third  expedition  was  under  the  patronage  of  the  Emperor 
of  Austria-Hungary,  and  its  hardships  and  dangers  were 
shared  by  the  explorer's  young  bride,  to  whose  bravery  and 
devotion,  skill  and  w'omanly  wit,  he  several  times  owed  his 
own  life  and  the  very  existence  of  the  expedition.  The 
journey  northward  in  1884  involved  all  the  difficulties 
of  cattle  transportation  as  far  as  Shoshong,  in  the 
Ba-Mangwato  country,  and  be- 
yond for  about  five  hundred 
miles  of  country  traversed  by  no 
river,  and  whose  lakes  were  only 
salt  ponds.  This  brought  them 
to  the  Zambesi  River,  beyond 
which  all  transportation  had  to 
be  done  by  carriers.  After  jour- 
neying through  the  Barotse  coun- 
try Dr.  Holub's  party  crossed 
over  into  the  midst  of  the  bar- 
barous Mashukulumbe — a  daring 
venture  in  the  interest  of  science, 
from  which  King  Khama  had 
tried   in    vain   to    dissuade   him. 

These  he  found  to  be  a  peculiar  people  in  their  customs  of 
peace  and  war.  Among  the  latter  is  the  practice  of  killing 
all  the  women  of  their  enemies,  in  order  to  exterminate 
them  by  lapse  of  time.  All  the  married  women  among 
them  have  their  hair  closely  shaved,  while  the  men  wear 
theirs  in  chignons  of  varying  sizes,  those  of  some  of  the 
young  men  measuring  three  feet  in  length,  extending  in  a 
spiral  form  straight  up  from  the  head,  or  at  a  slight  angle 
backward. 

The  Mashukulumbe  chiefs  accused  the  travelers  of  being 
spies  from  King   Lewanika,  and    the  entire  party  were  con- 


Mrs.   Dr.   Emil  Holub 


184 


The  Flaming  Torch 


demned  to  death.  Their  escape  involved  thrilling  adven- 
tures and  untold  hardships  extending  over  a  period  of  five 
months,  their  preservation  often  being  due  to  the  heroism 
of  Mrs,  Holub.  Worn  out  at  last  on  the  terrible  journey 
to  the  Zambesi,  she  said  to  her  husband :  "  I  can  no  longer 
be  a  help  to  you,  and  if  you  tarry  for  me  all  will  be  lost. 
Leave  me  here,  and  with  my  rifle  and  the  few  cartridges  I 
have  left  I  will  do  what  I  can  for  myself."  Dr.  Holub  tore 
up  his  jacket  to  make  bandages  for  her  lacerated  feet,  and 
they  pushed  on,  arriving  at  King  Khama's  town  February 
1 1,  1887.  Their  reappearance,  after  the  cable  had  announced 
his  death  to  the  world,  created  quite  a  sensation. 

Four  large  volumes  contain  the  history  and  results  of  his 
work;  he  has  devoted  another  large  volume  to  ornithology; 
his  reports  and  papers  are  numerous,  and  his  labors  and 
world-wide  reputation  as  a  lecturer  still  continue. 


Cattle  Transportation 


In  Darkest  Africa 


185 


CHAPTER  XIII 

Stanley's  Discoveries 

ECOGNIZING  the  importance  of  all  minor 
expeditions  to  the  various  parts  of  Africa, 
ue  emphatically  agree  with  Sir  Harry 
Johnston  Vv'hen  he  sa}-s,  "  The  real  his- 
W  tory  of  British  Central  Africa  begins  with 
.  the  advent  of  Livingstone."  It  was  only 
f^3  after  his  death  that  the  grandeur  of  his 
discoveries  in  Africa  was  recognized.  No 
sooner  had  he  been  laid  to  rest  in  West- 
minster Abbey  than  a  universal  enthusi- 
asm sprang  up  for  the  continuation  of  his 
work,  missionary  work  as  well  as  that  of 
exploration.  Burton  and  Cameron  at- 
tempted to  complete  his  map  of  Lake  Tan- 
ganyika, and  the  Scotch  missionaries  con- 
tinued his  mission  labors  in  Nyassaland. 
The  Livingstone  I'ree  Church  Mission 
was  founded  in  1874,  and  in  1875  sent  out  its  first  party  of 
missionaries  with  a  small  steamer  in  sections  to  enable  them 
to  journey  over  Lake  Nyassa.  In  1876  they  were  joined 
by  the  Church  of  Scotland  Mission.  The  great  work  of  ex- 
ploration, however,  which  Livingstone  had  left  unfinished 
was  destined  for  Henry  Morton  Stanley.  He  was  the  man 
of  the  hour.  The  London  Daily  Telegraph  fitted  out  an  im- 
portant expedition  in  accordance  with  Mr.  Stanlc)''s  wishes, 
and  in  1874  he  set  forth  to  continue  the  explorations  from 
N'hangwe  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

The  record  of  the  travels  and  discoveries  of  Henry  M. 
Stanley  from  1871  to  1891  is  one  of  the  most  interesting 
and  instructive  narrations  of  travel  and  adventure  ever 
penned.      But    it  is,  in  fact,  more    than  that.     It  is  the  un- 


186 


The  Flaming  Torch 


raveling  of  a  tangled  web,  the  solution  of  a  more  important 
problem  than  the  discovery  of  the  North  Pole.  He  has 
given  a  continent  to  the  civilized  world  and  made  kings 
and  princes  his  debtors  ;  but  more  than  all,  he  has  opened 
up  the  only  practical  way  for  the  redemption  of  the  hitherto 
lost  races  of  the  great  dark  land.  Stanley  understood  the 
grand  old  pioneer,  he  knew  his  desires,  and  the  mantle  of  Liv- 
ingstone fell  upon 
his  shoulders  by  the 
lavv  of  a  divine  fit- 
ness of  things.  The 
ambition  of  Stan- 
ley's life  from  the 
moment  he  heard  of 
Livingstone's  death 
was  to  become 
his  successor  in  the 
grand  work  of  Af- 
rica's development, 
and  the  whole  world 
knows  how  bravely 
he  toiled  and  the 
grandeur  of  his 
achievements.  Stan- 
ley was  eminently 
fitted  for  the  work 
by  his  long  experi- 
ence as  an  impor- 
tant newspaper  correspondent.  His  first  assignment  was  with 
the  campaign  against  the  Sioux  Indians,  accompanying  Gen- 
eral Sherman  ;  and  when  Lord  Napier  marched  against  King 
Theodore  of  Abyssinia  Mr.  Stanley  was  the  representative  of 
the  New  York  Herald  with  the  British  army.  The  crown- 
ing order  of  his  journalistic  career,  however,  was  that  which 
he  received  from  James  Gordon  Bennett,  to  "go  and  find 
Livingstone." 

Mr.  Stanley  has  unquestionably  rare  natural  gifts,  not  the 


Henry  M.  Stanley,    M.P. 


In  Darkest  Africa  187 

least  of  which  is  his  great  facult}-  of  self-possession.  He 
conies  from  a  race  wliich  is  remarkable  for  virtue  and  self- 
possession — the  Welsh — and  he  still  speaks  his  mother 
tongue,  although  with  difficulty,  and  is  ever  proud  to  ac- 
knowledge the  land  of  his  forefathers. 

When  he  speaks  he  is  wonderfully  self-composed,  and  his 
words  come  slowly  as  a  rule,  with  only  occasional  bursts  of 
fiery  eloquence,  but  you  receive  the  impression  of  careful 
thought  and  deliberation.  None  can  read  the  record  of  his 
life  without  being  convinced  that  he  always  has  his  wits 
about  him.  On  one  occasion,  when  he  desired  to  secure  the 
possession  of  the  wires  for  a  dispatch  he  was  sending  to 
his  paper  during  the  Abyssinian  war,  he  blocked  the  way  of 
the  other  correspondents  by  sending  a  whole  chapter  of  the 
Bible.  Another  notable  example  of  this  great  quality  was 
the  occasion  when  he  sacrificed  a  copy  of  "  Chandos,"  Shakes- 
peare, which  he  greatly  treasured,  in  order  to  save  his  note- 
book. Several  hundred  hostile  natives  had  gathered  around 
him  and  threatened  his  life.  They  misunderstood  his  motive 
for  sketching  in  his  notebook,  and  declared  that  it  was  his 
method  of  bewitching  them,  and  that  if  he  did  not  at  once 
burn  the  book  they  would  take  his  life.  Stanley  realized 
that  it  was  impossible  to  reason  with  them,  and  that  his  life 
was  in  jeopardy,  yet  he  could  not  dream  of  sacrificing  his 
notebook.  He  opened  his  desk  and  saw  his  beloved  Shakes- 
peare, similar  in  size  and  color  of  binding  to  the  guilt)'  note- 
book. He  took  it  up  and  said,  "Is  this  the  book?"  and 
they  cried  out,  "Yes  ;  that  is  the  book."  "Then  you  will  be 
contented  if  I  burn  it?"  They  expressed  their  willingness, 
and  Stanley  saved  his  life  by  throwing  his  Shakespeare  into 
the  fire,  and  the  savages  departed  with  gratitude. 

Mr.  Stanley  has  a  supreme  quality  of  instant  decision, 
sharpened  by  facing  death  in  almost  every  form.  He  is 
capable  of  calculating  consequences  instantly  in  moments  of 
danger,  and  never  shrank  from  any  sacrifice,  however  disa- 
greeable, when  necessary  to  reach  the  goal  before  him.  Mr. 
Kinglake    once    heard    him    speak    before    an    audience    in 


188 


The  Flaming  Torch 


Madame  Novikoff's  salon,  and  was  emphatic  in  his  declara- 
tion that  if  he  were  to  enter  the  House  of  Commons  he 
would  sj)eedily  be  recognized  as  one  of  the  first  debaters  of 
his  time.  This  prophecy  has  been  amply  verified.  He  has 
practiced  orator}'  under  fire,  and  his  addresses  to  his  fol- 
lowers, adjuring  them  to  be  done  with  indecision  and  obey 
orders,  read  like  the  burning  crystals  of  classic  heroes. 
His   famous  letter  to    Emin  Pasha   is  a  grand    example  of 

this,  and  Emin,  mentally 
great  as  he  was,  felt  the 
power  of  it.  Both  in 
fighting  and  speaking  he 
bears  the  classic  mold. 

Stanley  introduced  a 
new  method  of  African 
travel  from  the  start.  The 
value  of  his  methods  were 
speedily  recognized,  and 
he  was  at  once  sustained 
by  such  power  as  was 
necessary  to  begin  the 
emancipation  of  the  dark 
land.  "  Go  and  find  Liv- 
ingstone," were  the  magic 
words  which  sent  Stanley 
to  Zanzibar  in  1 87 1,  made 
the  whole  ci\'ilized  world 
a  debtor  to  Mr.  Bennett, 


Prime  Minister  of  Uganda 


and  struck  the  keynote  of  the  grand  song  of  salvation  of 
Africa's  millions,  and  the  song  will  increase  in  sweetness 
and  beauty  until  the  world  shall  be  no  more  and  the  solu- 
tion of  the  mighty  problem  will  be  plain. 

Stanley  found  Livingstone,  and  the  soul  of  a  new  hero 
awoke  to  the  greatness  of  the  work,  and  his  divine  guide 
gave  him  the  desire,  the  strength,  the  courage,  and  the  help 
of  princely  treasure.  The  masterly  way  in  which  he  ac- 
complished  the  task  proved  his  fitness  from   the  very  first. 


In  Darkest  Africa  189 

Arrived  at  Zanzibar  he  quickly  organized  a  caravan  and 
started  for  Lake  Tanganyika,  and  in  ten  montlis  he  reached 
his  destination,  after  a  journey  of  thrilling  interest,  and 
delivered  the  substantial  aid  which  Livingstone  so  much 
needed.  For  four  months  these  two  heroes  rested  or  ex- 
plored together,  and  Stanley  returned  home  bringing  with 
him  Livingstone's  notes  and  records  of  new  discoveries,  the 
most  notable  of  which  was  that  the  River  Rusizi  flowed  into 
the  north  end  of  Lake  Tanganyika.  Although  Livingstone's 
travels  embraced  a  period  of  thirty  years,  and  immeasurably 
enriched  geography's  domain,  still  much  was  yet  undis- 
covered. The  relation  of  the  great  lakes  to  the  Nile  and 
all  that  vast  region  was  still  a  blank  in  the  world's  knowledge 
of  Africa. 

I  would  not  for  a  moment  rob  any  explorer  of  the  full 
credit  of  his  discoveries ;  but  Baker,  Speke,  and  Grant  had 
failed  to  establish  the  great  discoveries  they  had  claimed. 
The  existence  of  a  lake  immediately  nnder  the  equator,  two 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  long  and  seven  thousand  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  was  doubted  by  many,  as  was  also  the 
statement  that  its  northern  outlet  was  the  Nile.  It  was  in 
1873  that  the  Geographical  Society  of  London  resolved  to 
solve  this  and  other  African  problems  finally  by  sending  out 
Cameron  to  continue  Livingstone's  work.  He  commenced 
his  journey  at  Zanzibar,  accompanied  by  three  other  Euro- 
peans. Proceeding  westward  he  finally  reached  Tabora  or 
Kazeh,  where  he  heard  of  Livingstone's  death.  He  obtained 
Livingstone's  papers  and  sent  them  home,  after  which  he 
made  a  survey  of  the  south  half  of  Lake  Tanganyika  and 
proved  that  Lake  Liemba,  of  Livingstone's  record,  was  none 
other  than  Lake  Tanganyika.  He  also  concluded  that  this 
lake,  as  well  as  the  Lualaba,  belonged  to  the  Congo.  Cam- 
eron failed  at  the  point  where  Stanley  succeeded.  Various 
difficulties,  lack  of  boats,  and  hostility  of  natives  preventing 
his  verification  of  what  he  believed. 

The   maps   and    scientific  observations  of  Cameron  have 
been  of  considerable  value  in  geographical  research,  and  he 


190 


The  Flaming  Torch 


undoubtedly  deserves  great  credit  for  his  work.  Stanley, 
however,  was  better  provided,  and  his  wonderful  determina- 
tion enabled  him  to  overcome  all  difficulties.  He  also  was 
sent  out  to  continue  Livingstone's  explorations  in  1874  by 
the  New  York  Herald  and  the  London  Telegraph.  He  or- 
ganized his  expedition  at  Zanzibar  and  started  out  in  No- 
vember, 1874.  His  own  words  describe  the  order  of  march 
better  than  another  could  :  "  Four  chiefs,  a  few  hundred 
yards  in  front ;  next,  twelve  guides,  clad  in  red  robes  of 
jobo,  bearing  coils  of  wire  ;  then  a  long  file,  two  hundred 

and  seventy  strong,  bear- 
ing cloth,  wire,  beads, 
and  sections  of  Lady 
Alice ;  after  them  thirty- 
six  women  and  ten  boys, 
children  of  the  chiefs, 
and  boat- bearers  ;  the 
long  line  closed  by  six- 
teen chiefs,  who  act  as 
rear  guard  ;  in  all,  three 
hundred  and  fifty-six 
souls  connected  with  the 
Anglo-American  expedi- 
tion. The  lengthy  line 
occupies  nearly  half  a 
mile  of  the  path."  He  took  with  him  his  boat,  which  he  had 
named  the  Lady  Alice,  with  which  to  explore  the  Victoria 
Nyanza  and  other  lakes  or  streams.  Along  with  him  were 
three  English  assistants,  Francis  and  Edward  Pocock,  and  a 
clerk  named  Frederick  Barker.  None  of  these,  however,  sur- 
vived the  hardships  and  dangers  of  the  expedition.  Stanley's 
real  difficulties  commenced  near  Unyanyembe,  a  halfway 
station  between  Zanzibar  and  the  lakes  of  interior  Africa, 
where  slave  stealers  and  other  land  robbers  and  murderers  who 
infest  this  part  of  the  continent  make  their  so-called  homes. 
He  turned  in  a  northwesterly  direction  before  reaching 
Unyanyembe  proper,  and  in  about  the   fifth   degree    south 


The  Heart  of  Livingstone 


In  Darkest  Africa  191 

latitude  came  upon  the  watershed  which  separates  the  waters 
flowing  northward  from  those  running  southward  in  a  phiin 
five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level  and  two  thousand  five 
hundred  miles  in  a  straight  line  from  the  Mediterranean, 
which  seemed  to  have  promise  of  being  the  southerly  limit 
of  the  Nile  basin.  The  party  for  days  had  suffered  from 
want  of  food,  and  to  add  to  their  difficulties  they  lost  their 
way.  Mirambo,  chief  of  a  tribe  inhabiting  the  neighborhood, 
was  hostile,  but  it  remained  for  another  tribe,  the  Ituri,  to 
commence  an  attack.  Only  the  courage  and  indifference  to 
danger  which  Stanley  at  all  times  possessed  could  have  come 
out  victorious  over  a  horde  of  savages  such  as  these  were. 
The  battle  lasted  three  days,  but  he  succeeded  in  routing  the 
enemy  completely,  with  only  a  loss  of  twenty-four  men  killed 
and  one  wounded. 

At  this  time  there  were  twenty-four  men  on  the  sick  list. 
Edward  Pocock  succumbed,  and  Stanley  was  left  with  only 
two  Englishmen  and  the  native  followers.  But  he  was  in- 
-n^incible,  and  marched  on  into  the  valley  of  the  Shimesya 
through  dense  forests  until  they  emerged  into  beautiful 
plains  and  rich  pasture  lands  interspersed  with  villages. 
Provisions  were  readily  obtained,  and  soon  the  men  recovered 
their  strength  and  courage  and  forged  their  way  onward  to 
the  great  Victoria  Nyanza.  This  they  sighted  February  27, 
1875,  from  Kagehyi.  He  completely  circumnavigated  the 
Victoria  Nyanza,  proceeding  southward,  discovered  the 
Muta  Nzige,  now  known  as  the  Albert  Edward  Nyanza, 
finally  reached  Ujiji  on  Lake  Tanganyika  and  followed 
Cameron's  route  on  the  Lualaba  in  the  Lady  Alice,  and  after 
many  hairbreadth  escapes  and  innumerable  trials  descended 
to  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

In  1879  Stanley  was  sent  out  to  the  Congo  Free  State  by 
the  International  Association,  at  whose  head  was  the  king 
of  the  Belgians.  His  wonderful  work  on  the  Congo  is  too 
well  known  to  be  detailed  by  me.  There  he  commanded 
an  army  of  seventy-five  Europeans  and  two  thousand  na- 
tives.     He  controlled   seventeen  stations  and  patrolled  the 


192 


The  Flaming  Torch 


river  and  its  affluents  with  a  flotilla  of  twelve  steamers. 
After  his  return  he  acted  as  special  correspondent  in  the 
historic  Ashantee  campaign,  and  then  bravely  went  forth 
again  across  the  African  continent  on  that  memorable  jour- 
ney which  resulted  in  the  conversion  of  King  M'tesa  of 
Uganda  and  the   opening   up  of  the   Congo.      Great   ends 

were  achieved  by  sacrifice  and 
unutterable  suffering,  even  by 
those  who  survived.  Stanley, 
I  firmly  believe,  was  under 
divine  protection.  He  re- 
turned home  and  wrote  an- 
other famous  book  detailing 
the  most  thrilling  record  of 
travel  ever  penned,  and  then 
again  went  back  to  extend 
his  work  in  the  Congo  Free 
State.  A  confederacy  of  four 
hundred  chiefs  made  a  treaty 
with  him  to  promote  trade 
and  hold  the  Congo  open.  He 
established  thirty  stations, 
opened  up  the  river  for  seven 
thousand  miles  into  the  very 
heart  of  the  dark  land,  and 
ultimately  succeeded  in  secur- 
ing general  European  recog- 
nition for  his  labors  there. 
Then  he  returned  again  to 
England,  published  another  book,  delivered  lectures  on 
both  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  and  was  back  in  Africa  in 
1887  on  the  way  to  relieve  Emin  Pasha.  The  thrilling 
record  of  that  successful  expedition  must  be  fresh  in  the 
memories  of  all  who  are  interested  in  the  world's  advance- 
ment. And  \\'ho  can  ever  forget  that  terrible  journey  ?  Stan- 
ley sailed  \\ith  his  force  from  Zanzibar  around  the  Cape  to  the 
Congo,  and  thence  up  that  river  to  the  Aruwimi,  and  again 


An  East  African  Tower 


In  Darkest  Africa 


193 


up  the  Annvimi  to  Yambu}'a,  thirteen  hundred  miles  from 
the  sea.  Here  he  divided  the  command  and  left  the  rear 
guard,  in  charge  of  Major  Barttelot,  to  await  reinforcements 
and  supplies.  Stanley,  with  three  hundred  and  eighty-nine 
men,  plunged  into  an  immense  forest  hitherto  unknown,  his 
object  being  to  reach  the  southerly  extremity  of  Albert  Ny- 
anza,  a  distance  estimated  at  five  hundred  and  fifty  English 
miles  from  Yambuya.  He  followed  the  course  of  the  Aru- 
wimi,  which   runs  through   the   forest   almost  due  east  and 


King  M'wanga 


west,  and  then  the  course  of  its  confluents — the  Ituri  and 
the  Ihuri,  suffering  almost  complete  starvation  and  the  gen- 
eral horrors  of  the  African  jungle.  He  had  many  skir- 
mishes with  hostile  tribes  and  experienced  the  treacherous 
ways  of  the  Wambutti  Dwarfs,  or  Pygmies,  which  Stanley 
discovered  in  this  forest.  At  last,  on  the  5th  of  December, 
he  and  his  men  emerged  from  this  everlasting  night  of 
foliage  into  day,  beholding  with  delight  grassy  plains  in- 
habited by  buffaloes,  antelopes,  and  other  wild  and  beautiful 
creatures.  Many  men  had  been  lost  from  that  little  band 
during  the  terrible  march,  but   Stanley  knew  how  to  cheer 

and    encourage   the   remainder,   and  they  were  not  long  in 
13 


194  The  Flaming  Torch 

reaching  the  goal  of  the  expedition — the  Albert  Nyanza. 
Not  meeting  Emin  Pasha,  as  expected,  still  undaunted  he 
marched  with  his  men  back  into  the  forest,  and,  arriving  at 
West  Ibiro,  built  Fort  Bodo,  where  they  could  await  the  ar- 
rival of  the  boat  from  Ungarowina.  By  April  i8,  1888,  he 
was  again  back  on  the  lake,  and  met  and  relieved  the  Pasha. 
He  had  heard  nothing  of  his  rear  guard  from  June  28,  1887, 
to  April  18,  1888,  and  there  was  no  alternative  for  him  but 
to  march  back  again.  When  he  arrived  near  Yambuya  he 
found  that  Major  Barttelot  had  been  murdered,  and  that  all 
his  European  officers  but  one  were  dead,  while  the  greater 
part  of  the  men  had  deserted  or  died  from  starvation.  This 
was  the  most  trying  experience  Stanley  ever  had,  but  his 
mission  was  too  great  to  permit  him  to  hesitate. 

Once  more  he  led  his  men  to  Albert  Nyanza,  but  it  was 
not  until  January,  1889,  that  he  succeeded  in  returning  with 
what  remained  of  them  to  Kuvalli,  having  crossed  this  for- 
est three  times.  On  the  4th  of  the  following  December  he 
reached  Bagamonya,  and  his  expedition  for  the  relief  of 
Emin  Pasha  was  ended. 

Stanley's  discoveries  during  his  various  expeditions  leave 
very  little  to  be  explored  in  Africa  now,  and  if  any  man  in 
the  world's  history  deserves  to  rest  upon  his  laurels  it  is 
this  great  and  good  man.  But  he  is  not  content  to  rest ; 
he  will  toil  for  Africa  to  the  end.  As  the  real  representa- 
tive of  South  Africa's  interests  he  conspicuously  adorns  the 
House  of  Commons,  but  I  think  even  the  House  of  Lords 
would  be  illumed  by  his  presence. 


The  Malagasy  Embassage 


Ibeatben  Efrica 


CHAPTER   XIV 

Islam  and  the  Natives 

HERE  is  a  great  distinction  between 
the  native  inhabitants  of  Africa  and 
the  foreign  races.  This  difference 
rests  not  upon  analogies  between 
the  languages  of  distant  nations  or 
upon  supposed  resemblance  of  form 
or  figure,  but  upon  the  introduction 
within  the  limits  of  authentic  history 
of  a  people,  manners,  and  religion  be- 
longing to  another  continent.  The 
changes  we  refer  to  were  effected  by 
the  inroads  of  the  Arabs  or  Saracens,  and  later  by  the  con- 
quests of  the  Turks;  events  which  spread  over  the  northern 
part  of  Africa  a  social  system  in  everyway  different  from  that 
of  the  tribes  by  whom  it  was  formerly  inhabited.  The  native 
tribes  of  Africa  exist  generally  in  the  state  which  is  denomi- 
nated as  barbarian.  They  are  elevated  above  the  hunting  or 
savage  state  by  the  power  of  subjecting  and  taming  the  lower 
animals  and  by  their  rude  methods  of  agriculture,  which  the 
fertility  of  the  soil  renders  productive.  Yet  few  of  them  are 
nomadic  and  wandering,  like  the  Arabs  or  Tartars.  They 
generally  cling  to  their  homes  with  strong  feelings  of  attach- 
ment. Even  the  tenants  of  the  desert  have  their  little 
watered  valleys  or  circuit  of  hills  in  which  they  make  their 
permanent  abode. 

Agriculture,  including  pasturage,  forms  the  most  important 

branch  of  industry  in  every  society,  and  more  especially  in 

lyr 


198  The  Flaming  Torch 

one  where  all  the  finer  arts  are  yet  in  a  state  of  infancy.  In 
Africa,  however,  both  the  extent  of  cultivation  and  the  proc- 
esses employed  are  still  extremely  imperfect.  This  is  par- 
ticularly evident  from  the  fact  that  no  private  property  in 
land  has  hitherto  been  established.  Every  city  or  village  has 
hitherto  been  encircled  by  an  unoccupied  forest  or  open  land 
belonging  to  the  king,  and  of  which  a  portion  could  be 
granted  to  anyone  who  would  undertake  the  labor  and  ex- 
pense of  cultivation,  while  the  remainder  forms  an  immense 
common  on  which  all  the  inhabitants  have  the  privilege  of 
pasturing  their  cattle.  There  have  been  no  country  seats  in 
Africa,  or  rural  farms,  such  as  adorn  the  aspect  of  European 
landscape,  and  which  in  fact  could  not  exist  in  safety  even 
at  the  present  time,  except  in  a  few  parts  of  Africa. 

The  population  is  generally  collected  in  large  villages  or 
kraals,  around  which  a  circle  of  cultivation  is  formed;  while 
beyond  are  pasture  lands  where  cattle  are  fed  by  day  and  at 
night  are  driven  into  the  center  of  the  kraal.  The  space 
within  the  walls  forms  a  wide  district,  where  even  in  the 
largest  towns  the  houses  are  interspersed  with  cultivated 
fields  and  the  low  roofs  are  seen  rising  behind  ears  of  corn. 
The  processes  of  preparing  the  ground,  sowing,  and  reaping 
are  simple,  and  now  that  nations  advanced  in  civilization 
have  taken  possession  of  Africa,  the  plow  and  other  imple- 
ments of  agriculture  are  being  introduced  where  practical, 
and  the  native  looks  on  in  wonder  at  the  power  of  the  white 
man  to  produce  a  harvest  which  surpasses  their  greatest 
efforts.  It  is  doubtful  whether  the  plow  maybe  used  in  the 
tropical  parts  of  Africa.  The  deep  furrow  which  it  makes 
may  expose  the  soil  too  much  to  the  burning  sun.  Grain  is 
raised  only  by  means  of  profuse  moisture,  which  itself  softens 
the  earth.  As  soon  as  the  periodical  floods  have  deluged 
the  earth  or  the  river  overflow  has  retired  the  laborers  come 
forth,  and  as  one  stirs  the  earth  with  a  hoe  another  deposits 
the  grain.  This  toil  is  often  made  less  burdensome  by  being 
performed  by  all  the  natives  of  a  village.  The  musician  plays 
his  liveliest  airs  while  the  laborers  keep  time  to  his  tune,  and 


In  Darkest  Africa  199 

an  onlooker  unacquainted  with  the  custom  might  suppose 
they  were  dancing  instead  of  working.  The  principal  source 
of  fertility  throughout  Africa  is  irrigation,  either  by  rain  or 
the  river  channels.  Egypt  is  watered  by  the  canals  which 
diffuse  over  its  plains  the  waters  of  the  Nile  ;  and  in  Nubia, 
where  the  current  remains  constantly  sunk  in  its  rocky  bed, 
there  is  a  succession  of  sakies,  or  wheels,  by  w  hich  it  is  raised 
and  conducted  over  the  adjoining  fields.  In  this  way  a  great 
breadth  of  cultivation  is  continued  along  the  upper  course 
of  the  river.  The  grain  foods  in  all  the  tropical  regions  are 
of  an  inferior  character,  coarse  and  small.  The  dhoorra  is 
the  most  common,  extending  over  all  eastern  Africa ;  while 
millet  in  the  west,  and  teff  in  Abyssinia  are  productions 
almost  alike. 

In  both  Abyssinia  and  Houssa  wheat  and  rice  are  raised, 
but  only  for  the  tables  of  the  rich.  The  main  article  of 
food  among  the  natives  of  the  Congo  is  the  manioc,  and  its 
cultivation  is  the  chief  agricultural  industry  of  that  district, 
as  well  as  some  of  the  insular  territories.  Considerable  care 
is  required  in  rearing  it  and  clearing  the  ground  around  the 
plants.  The  roots  of  the  manioc  in  size  range  from  an  inch 
to  three  inches  in  diameter  and  from  six  inches  to  eighteen 
inches  in  length  when  it  is  developed,  which  requires  from 
nine  to  eighteen  months.  The  top  is  a  straight  stick  from 
three  quarters  of  an  inch  in  diameter  to  two  inches,  and  is 
often  ten  feet  higli,  and  sometimes  much  higher.  It  is  not 
grown  from  seed,  but  from  cuttings,  which  are  very  tenacious 
of- life.  A  manioc  walking  stick  would  not  bear  much  weight, 
for  it  has  little  woody  fiber,  but  it  would  produce  buds  and 
form  leaves  while  used  as  a  stick  in  your  hands.  So  we  have 
only  to  prepare  the  ground,  and  some  who  don't  enjo)'  dig- 
ging  think  the  manioc  produces  better  where  the  soil  is  not 
broken  up,  but  in  either  case  the  sticks  are  cut  into  bits  from 
six  inches  to  a  foot  in  length  and  stuck  into  the  ground  ; 
some  cover  them  over  with  soil.  It  will  stand  drought  better 
than  any  food  product  I  know  of,  and  makes,  in  the  dryest 
of  the  dry  season,  fields  dressed  in  beautiful  light  green. 


200  The  Flaming  Torch 

There  are  different  varieties  of  the  cassada,  or  manioc. 
The  juice  of  one  kind  is  poisonous,  and  when  the  roots  are, 
by  grater  or  mortar,  reduced  to  pomace,  they  are  put  into 
grass  bags  seven  or  eight  inches  wide  and  four  feet  long,  and 
hung  up  so  that  all  the  poison  water  drips  out,  and  the  fari- 
naceous part  is  made  into  flour  for  bread.  This  is  the  kind 
I  used  to  see  in  British  Guinea.  That  most  used  in  Africa 
is  the  sweet  cassada  without  poison.  The  root  is  used  for 
food  of  various  kinds  by  different  preparations. 

1.  The  root,  raw,  is  nutritious, and  has  the  taste  of  chestnuts. 

2.  Roasted  in  the  hot  embers,  or  boiled,  it  is  delicious 
for  one  who  has  an  appetite  for  wholesome  food. 

3.  Soaked  in  water  until  the  outside  skin  can  be  split  off, 
and  its  fibrous  heartstring  drawn  out,  and  then  dried  in  the 
sunshine,  it  is  usable  for  bread  ;  broken  into  strips  and  fried 
in  a  little  palm  oil,  with  a  little  salt,  it  is  a  good  relish.  In 
the  latter  form  it  is  called  bomba. 

4.  From  the  roots,  after  being  soaked  and  dried,  extremely 
white  and  fine  flour  is  made.  This  manioc  flour  is  called 
fuba,  which  is  the  staff  of  life  in  Angola. 

5.  The  fuba,  made  into  a  thick  porridge  or  mush,  is  called 
funje.  It  is  not  stirred  into  water  boiling  over  the  fire,  as 
we  make  oatmeal  or  corn  mush.  The  water  is  boiled  and 
salted  and  set  off,  and  then  the  fuba  is  stirred  in  till  it  be- 
comes so  thick  you  can  take  blocks  of  it  into  your  hands ; 
and  we  do  this  when  short  of  spoons.  It  is  used  in  chicken 
broth  or  with  molasses. 

6.  The  bread  made  of  the  manioc  is  called  quanga.  When 
the  roots  are  soaked  and  peeled,  instead  of  drying  they  are 
mortared  and  kneaded  into  dough,  which  is  made  into 
loaves  of  abont  four  by  six  to  ten  inches.  These  are  envel- 
oped in  thin  tough  leaves,  bound  securely  by  fine  splits  from 
some  one  of  the  many  tough  wild  ropes  of  the  woods.  The 
loaves  are  then  boiled  in  large  earthen  pots.  Then  we  have 
good  bread  ready  for  use  ;  or  you  may  slice,  for  it  is  as  solid 
as  a  cheese,  and  either  brown  or  broil,  to  suit  your  taste. 
The  quanga  is  the  staff  of  life  on  the  Congo. 


In  Darkest  Africa  203 

7.  To  prepare  farina  from  the  manioc,  first  grate  the 
root.  "  I  have  no  grater."  Indeed  !  Well,  I'll  tell  you  how 
to  get  one.  Take  a  sheet  of  tin,  and  with  a  sharp-pointed 
nail  and  a  hammer  drive  it  full  of  holes,  and  the  rough  side 
will  make  a  splendid  grater.  When  the  green  roots  are  grated, 
dry  in  the  sun,  leaving  in  all  its  starch  and  tapioca ;  when 
dried  in  the  sun,  brown  it  over  the  fire  slowly  and  bring  it 
on  to  the  table  to  be  stirred  into  soup  or  boiled  beans. 

8.  To  make  tapioca,  grate  the  roots  as  described.  After 
grating,  fill  the  pan  with  water  and  strain  through  a  cloth  ; 
when  the  milk  thus  strained  settles  pour  off  the  water  and 
take  that  which  has  settled  and  dry  it  as  quickly  as  possible 
over  a  fire,  st-irring  it  continually,  not  allowing  it  to  scorch. 
Thus  it  forms  small,  transparent  lumps  of  the  best  tapioca. 

9.  For  making  starch,  which  is  good  for  pudding,  after 
grating  and  straining  dry  slowly  in  the  sun,  and  you  have  a 
superior  quality  of  starch  adapted  to  all  the  starch  demands 
in  the  market. 

Manioc  is  a  stronger  "staff  of  life  "  than  wheat.  Gluten 
is  nerve  food  and  indispensable  to  health  and  vigor  of  body 
and  mind.  Wheat  has  about  twenty-five  per  cent  gluten,  a 
large  proportion  of  which  is  taken  out  by  the  improved 
methods  of  making  very  white  flour,  leaving  an  undue  pro- 
portion of  starch.  There  is  no  possibility  of  getting  the 
seventy  per  cent  of  gluten  out  of  any  preparation  of  the 
manioc. 

Where  the  natives  are  content  to  live  in  the  simplest  pos- 
sible manner  it  is  not  expected  that  manufactures  can  reach 
any  degree  of  importance.  It  is  well  known,  however,  that 
there  are  fine  cotton  fabrics  manufactured  in  several  districts 
of  central  Africa.  These  are  often  of  a  very  beautiful 
texture  and  dyed  blue  with  fine  indigo  by  a  process  that 
gives  them  a  brilliant  gloss.  In  Houssa  leather  is  tanned 
and  stained  in  the  same  thorough  manner  as  in  Morocco. 
It  is  more  than  probable  that  in  both  instances  the  skill  em- 
ployed is  native.  Mats  used  both  for  sitting  and  sleeping 
upon  are  the  staple  manufacture  in   many  parts  of  western 


204  The  Flaming  Torch 

Africa.  Gold  and  silver  ornaments  are  made  with  some  taste, 
and  iron  is  made  into  a  variety  of  ornamental  and  useful 
things,  although  with  an  imperfect  degree  of  skill. 

The  natives  of  Africa  have  never  mastered  the  rudiments 
of  maritime  commerce.  The  circuit  of  that  continent  pre- 
sents neither  spacious  inlets  nor  bays  to  cherish  the  develop- 
ment of  navigation.  It  is  only  within  the  past  few  years, 
since  the  advent  of  Livingstone  and  Stanley,  that  the  great 
river  courses  and  lakes  of  Africa  have  become  subservient  to 
the  purposes  of  inland  communication.  Thanks  to  the  scien- 
tific European,  around  the  cataracts,  which  for  centuries  have 
been  an  insurmountable  barrier  to  the  explorer,  railways  are 
being  rapidly  constructed.  The  line  from  the  lower  to  the 
upper  Congo  extends  past  over  two  hundred  miles  of  cata- 
racts, and  is  certainly  one  scintillating  ray  in  the  purple  and 
gray  dawn  of  the  beautiful  day  which  is  about  to  illumine 
this  great  slice  of  the  world.  Caravans  and  cafilas,  which 
have  for  centuries  covered  all  known  routes  over  desert  or 
plain  or  forest,  will  soon  be  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  the  horn 
of  the  steamboat  and  the  screech  of  the  steam  engine  will  be 
heard  in  every  corner  of  Africa.  The  camel,  which  was  orig- 
inally introduced  into  the  northern  deserts  from  Arabia,  is 
peculiarly  fitted  to  travel  over  the  sand,  and  will  be  nec- 
essary even  when  Africa  is  netted  with  railways,  as  the 
horse  is  in  Europe. 

While  the  Mohammedan  converts  in  central  Africa  are 
intensely  bigoted  in  regard  to  dogmas,  they  are  far  more 
loose  in  practice  than  their  brethren  in  Cairo  and  Tripoli. 
The  females  are  not  so  strictly  immured,  and  the  men  sel- 
dom adhere  to  that  part  of  the  Koran  which  discounte- 
nances the  use  of  fermented  liquors.  It  is  true  that  the 
sovereigns  who  were  zealous  Mussulmans  have  been  known 
to  pronounce  dreadful  penalties  against  all  who  indulge  in 
intoxicating  beverages. 

Wherever  the  Mohammedan  religion  has  been  established 
the  horrors  of  human  sacrifice  have  been  abolished.  In  all 
other  respects,  however,  the  introduction  of  this  foreign  race 


In  Darkest  Africa 


205 


and  foreign  creed  seems  only  to  have  deepened  the  evils 
under  which  Africa  had  formerly  suffered.  Yet  Canon  C.  H. 
Robinson  says,"  There  are  many  to-day  who,  while  regarding 
Christianity  as  theoretically  superior  to  Mohammedanism, 
are  prepared  to  maintain  that 
for  natives  such  as  those  to 
be  found  in  central  Africa, 
Islam  is  not  only  good,  but 
distinctly  the  better  of  the 
two  religions."  This  is  a 
somewhat  important  ques- 
tion at  the  present  time, 
since  large  portions  of  cen- 
tral Africa  where  Moham- 
medanism and  heathenism 
prevail  have  recently  come 
under  British  rule.  Should 
Mohammedanism  become, 
as  many  desire,  the  great 
missionary  religion  of  trop- 
ical Africa,  we  can  better  im- 
agine than  describe  what  the- 
future  of  Africa  would  be. 
God  forbid  that  the  blight 
of  Mohammedanism  should 
spread  farther  its  subtle  and 
destructive  teachings ! 

Centuries  before  the  ad- 
vent of  Mohammedanism  in 
central  and  Northwest  Af- 
rica the  inhabitants  of  these 

countries  were  Christians,  and  these  territories  have  been  in 
touch  with  European  civilization  so  long  that  it  is  impossi- 
ble now  to  say  what  benefits  they  have  gained  from  it  alone 
which  would  not  have  come  to  them  through  some  other 
channel. 

In  Houssaland  the  Mohammedan  has  had  it  all  his  own 


A  Worker  in  Iron 


206  The  Flaming  Torch 

way.  Neither  Christian  nor  European  influence  has  inter- 
fered, because  it  has  been  in  a  measure  unknown  to  the 
Christian  world.  The  traveler  who  desired  to  visit  Houssa- 
land  had  either  to  cross  the  Great  Desert  of  Sahara,  a  dis- 
tance as  the  crow  flies  of  eighteen  hundred  miles,  or  has  had 
to  go  by  way  of  the  Niger  delta,  and  travel  for  several  hundred 
miles  afoot  through  a  country  "  which  has  justly  earned  the 
reputation  of  being  the  most  unhealthy  the  world  contains." 
Now,  however,  it  is  different.  The  traveler  can  sail  up  the 
Niger  and  the  Binne  for  about  four  hundred  miles  in  one  of 
the  Royal  Niger  Company's  launches.  Then  he  can  tramp 
three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  and  reach  the  great  city  of 
Kano. 

Whether  the  western  Soudan  has  made  any  improvement 
under  Mohammedan  government  seems  to  be  doubtful ; 
there  is  no  evidence  upon  which  to  base  an  opinion.  Al- 
though only  a  small  portion  of  the  natives  had  embraced 
Mohammedanism  at  the  beginning  of  the  century,  many  in- 
dividual kings  were  Mohammedans.  At  the  present  time 
Houssaland  is  subject  to  a  single  ruler,  whose  influence,  how- 
ever, cannot  avail  to  prevent  civil  war  breaking  out  occa- 
sionally. Canon  Robinson  relates  that  "  on  the  death  of 
Bello,  King  of  Kano,  in  1894,  his  son  Tukr  succeeded  him, 
but  his  cruelty  and  misgovernment  were  such  that  civil  war 
broke  out,  and  a  rival  candidate  named  Isufu  attempted  to 
make  himself  king.  He  began  by  retiring  outside  Kano 
and  raiding  some  two  hundred  villages  which  were  subject 
to  Kano.  Having  sold  their  inhabitants  as  slaves,  and  so 
replenished  his  exchequer,  he  attacked  Kano  and  forced 
Tukr  to  retire.  Tukr  appealed  for  help  to  the  Sultan  of 
Sokoto,  wha  ordered  the  people  of  Kano  to  reinstate  him  ; 
but  finding  them  unwilling  to  obey  he  concluded  a  treaty 
with  Isufu — or,  rather,  with  his  brother  Baba,  Isufu  having 
died  meanwhile — in  accordance  with  which  Baba  was  left 
free  to  kill  Tukr,  provided  he  continued  to  send  the  accus- 
tomed tribute  to  Sokoto.  Tukr  was  killed  accordingly  dur- 
ing my  stay  in  Kano." 


In  Darkest  Africa 


207 


CHAPTER  XV 

Commercial  and  Domestic 

NE  important  branch  of  native  trade 
in  Africa  originates  in  the  great  de- 
mand for  salt,  especially  in  all  the 
provinces  to  the  south  of  the  Great 
Desert,  This  commodity  is  chiefly 
brought  from  the  seacoast,  from  large 
pits  in  the  Western  Desert,  and  also 
from  the  lakes  or  ponds  of  Domboo, 
in  the  country  of  the  Tibboo.  In 
like  manner  from  the  west  are  sent 
up  cowries  or  shells,  the  chief  cur- 
rency of  the  interior  kingdoms,  and  goora  or  kolla  nuts,  a 
favorite  luxury,  which,  on  account  of  the  agreeable  taste  they 
impart  to  water  are  sometimes  called  African  coffee.  The 
returns  are  made  in  gold,  ivory,  fine  cloths,  and,  even  now  in 
some  parts,  too  often  in  slaves.  The  trade  with  northern  Af- 
rica across  the  desert  consists  in  foreign  commodities.  The 
chief  imports  are  gaudy  and  glittering  ornaments  ;  for  the 
power  of  distinguishing  between  the  genuine  and  the  false  in 
finery  does  not  seem  to  exist  beyond  the  Sahara.  Captain 
Lyon,  the  traveler,  enumerated  nine  kinds  of  beads,  silks,  and 
cloths  of  bright  colors,  especially  red,  copper  kettles,  long 
swords,  powder,  and  shot.  Antimony,  to  blacken  the  eyes, 
cast-off  clothes,  and  old  armor  also  find  ready  markets.  The 
monetary  system  in  most  of  the  Negro  countries  is  very  im- 
perfect ;  for  the  shell  currency,  of  which  it  requires  several 
thousand  pieces  to  make  up  a  pound  sterling,  must  be  in- 
tolerably tedious.  Barter  is  the  principal  method  of  trading. 
The  only  metallic  form  appears  in  Loggun,  where  it  consists 
of  rude  bars  of  iron,  and  in  the  British  colonies,  where  coin 
or  cloth  is   paid    for  labor  and   food.     In   Bornou,  and  sev- 


208  The  Flaming  Torch 

eral  countries  on  the  coast,  cloth,  mats,  or  some  other  article 
in  general  demand  is  made  a  common  measure  of  value. 

All  the  accommodations  of  life  throughout  Africa  are 
very  simple.  There  does  not  exist  in  Africa  a  stone  house, 
or  one  which  rises  two  stories  from  the  ground,  unless  it  has 
been  built  by  foreign  individuals  or  governments.  The 
materials  of  the  best  native  habitations  are  merely  stakes  of 
wood  plastered  with  earth,  built  in  a  conical  form,  like  bee- 
hives, and  resembling  the  first  rude  shelter  which  man 
framed  against  the  elements.  Many  of  these  mansions 
afford  little  facility  for  standing  upright,  and,  indeed,  are 
resorted  to  chiefly  for  sleep  and  shelter,  while  the  court  be- 
fore the  door,  shaded  by  the  family  tree,  is  the  scene  of 
social  intercourse  and  of  all  meetings  for  the  purposes  of 
business  and  gayety.  Greater  efforts,  indeed,  are  made  to 
form  a  commodious  state  room  or  public  hall,  called  the  pa- 
laver house,  which  is  a  large  apartment,  raised  on  posts 
fixed  in  the  ground  and  roofed  with  sloping  planks,  which 
leave  the  interior  open  to  the  air  on  every  side.  The  houses 
and  yards  of  persons  in  any  degree  opulent  are  inclosed  by 
an  outer  wall  or  hedge,  sometimes  pretty  high,  serving  the 
purposes  both  of  privacy  and  defense.  Even  the  palaces  of 
the  chiefs  and  of  the  great  kings  consist  chiefly  of  merely  a 
cluster  of  these  hovels  or  cottages,  forming  a  little  village 
with  large  open  spaces  and  surrounded  by  a  common  wall. 
The  state  hall  of  the  sultan  of  the  Fellatas,  the  greatest  of 
the  African  princes  a  few  years  ago,  was  an  apartment  to 
which  the  term  shed  would  in  Europe  have  been  properly 
applied.  Slender,  however,  as  are  the  accommodations 
afforded  by  these  edifices,  they  are  sometimes  liberally 
adorned,  especially  in  the  larger  cities,  both  with  carving 
and  painting,  from  a  barbaric  standpoint. 

If  African  houses  be  of  mean  construction  the  internal 
accommodations  are  equally  scanty.  Except  the  state  chairs 
or  thrones  of  the  great  monarchs,  ascended  only  on  very 
solemn  occasions,  there  are  but  very  few  seats  in  the  native 
huts  throughout  Africa.     The   people  squat  on  the  ground 


14 


In  Darkest  Africa  211 

in  circles  ;  and  if  the  chief  can  place  beneath  him  the  skin 
of  a  Hon  or  leopard  he  is  at  the  height  of  his  pomp.  For  a 
table  there  is  at  best  a  wooden  board,  whereon  is  neither 
plate,  knife,  fork,  nor  spoon,  the  fingers  being  supposed 
fully  adequate  to  the  performance  of  every  function.  If  it 
be  necessary  to  separate  into  parts  large  joints,  or  even  a 
sheep  roasted  whole,  the  dagger  or  the  sword  of  the  warrior 
is  drawn  forth  and  soon  severs  the  pieces. 

A  British  consul,  who  was  visiting  the  King  of  Ashantee 
at  Coomassie  toward  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  centur)', 
makes  an  amusing  note  in  the  records  of  his  travels  regard- 
ing the  king's  opinions  of  his  builders.  "  When  I  visited 
the  capital  of  Ashantee,"  he  remarks,  "  I  found  the  king  to 
be  deeply  impressed  with  respect  for  white  men,  and  also 
with  a  desire  to  imitate  and  rival  the  pomp  of  European 
kings.  He  was  erecting  a  palace,  the  outside  of  which  con- 
sisted only  of  large  logs  of  timber,  but  the  interior  was  to 
be  adorned  with  brass,  ivory,  and  gold.  He  said,  *  Now, 
white  men  know  me  ;  I  must  live  in  a  great  house,  as  white 
kings  do  ;  then  I  shall  not  be  ashamed  when  white  people 
come  ;  '  and  on  another  occasion,  '  I  must  have  everything 
suitable,  and  live  like  a  white  king.'  He  had  procured 
architects  from  Elmina  to  give  instructions  to  his  own  sub- 
jects, who,  however,  performed  the  task  in  so  awkward  a 
manner  that  h.e  himself  laughed  at  them,  exclaiming, 
'  Ashantee  fools  at  work.'  "  But  the  want  of  skill  was  com- 
pensated by  their  numbers  ;  and  while  engaged  at  work 
they  suggested  to  the  consul  the  singular  image  of  a  legion 
of  devils  attempting  to  construct  a  tower  of  Babel. 

As  representative  of  West  Africa  I  will  give  some  detail 
of  products  and  customs  in  the  Old  Calabar  country.  The 
indigenous  food  supplies  are  the  plantain,  banana,  cassada, 
Indian  corn,  cocoa,  yam,  sweet  potato,  and  sugar  cane.  The 
exotics  introduced  by  the  missionaries  are  the  breadfruit, 
mango,  avocado  pear,  papaw,  citron,  lemon,  lime,  shaddock, 
and  arrowroot.  The  natives  do  not  make  permanent 
clearings,  but  "  cut  and  burn  bush,"  dig  with  small  native 


212 


The  Flaming  Torch 


hoes,  plant  and  cultivate  a  crop  or  two,  and  the  next  year 
abandon  their  patches  to  the  rapid  new  growth  of  the  forest 
and  clear  and  plant  in  virgin  soil.  Every  man  is  his  own 
house  builder.  The  walls  are  constructed  of  strong  wattle, 
plastered  with  mortar  of  tenacious  clay  and  sand.  Rafters 
are  of  palm  branches,  with  thatched  roof  which  projects  a 
few  feet  over  the  walls,  to  serve  as  verandas  and  to  protect 
the  mud  walls  from  the  rains.  Many  of  the  houses  form  a 
square  on  all  sides  of  a  court,  opening  into  the  court  alley, 
and  the  women  have  a  separate  court  of  their  own,  and  or- 
nament it  with  rude  paintings  of  their  own  fancy  with  vari- 
ous colors  of  earth  paint  of  their  own  preparation. 

The  native  costume  of  the  Efik  people  consists  of  a  piece 
of  cloth  tied  around  the  loins.  The  dress  of  a  king  or  chief 
does  not  differ  in  style,  but  is  superior  in  quality,  usually  of 
silk  ;  and  going  out  in  the  sunshine  they  generally  wear  a 
"  stovepipe  "  hat  of  various  bright  colors,  and  have  a  slave 
to  carry  over  them  a  huge  umbrella  made  of  strips  of  bright- 
colored  cloth. 


Earthnuts  (Arachis  hypogcea) 


In  Darkest  Africa 


213 


CHAPTER  XVI 

The  Kaffirs  a  Century  Ago 

HE  Kaffirs  are  parlicularly  referred  to 
in  the  records  of  the  explorer  Barrow, 
who  visited  Kaffi-aria  at  the  close  of  the 
eighteenth  century  on  behalf  of  the 
British  colonists.  The  natives  made  a 
most  favorable  impression  upon  him. 
The  females  danced  around  and  were 
■  delighted  with  the  presents  of  tobacco 
5  and  buttons.  Both  the  men  and  women 
were  well  formed  and  well  behaved. 
"  Their  features  were  almost  European,"  says  Barrow, 
"  and  their  dark  sparkling  eyes  bespoke  vivacity  and  intelli- 
gence." The  men  were  the  finest  figures  that  the  traveler 
had  ever  seen,  considerably  above  the  middle  size,  robust, 
and  muscular,  yet  marked  with  elegant  symmetry.  Their 
deportinent  was  easy,  and  their  expression  frank,  generous, 
and  fearless.  In  reply  to  the  complaints  which  were  made 
of  their  encroachments  upon  the  British  colony  they  asserted, 
and  seemed  to  prove,  that  much  greater  encroachments  had 
been  inade  by  the  colonists  themselves,  and  expressed  their 
readiness  to  accede  to  any  arrangement  which  might  obvi- 
ate future  dissensions,  stating,  however,  that  nothing  could 
be  done  but  through  Gaika,  the  great  king  of  the  Kaffirs. 
The  umpires  immediately  proceeded  toward  his  residence, 
through  a  beautiful  but  uncultivated  and  somewhat  entan- 
gled country.  He  was  absent  at  that  moment,  employed 
in  pursuing  a  band  of  wolves;  but  his  wife  and  mother,  with 
fifty  or  sixty  attendants,  sat  around  the  strangers  and  con- 
versed, through  an  interpreter,  in  the  most  agreeable  man- 
ner. At  length  the  monarch  was  seen  approaching  at  full 
gallop,  mounted  on    a  monstrous  ox.     Alighting    from  this 


214  The  Flaming  Torch 

singular  charger  he  graciously  welcomed  the  strangers,  and 
seating  himself  and  his  attendants  under  the  shade  of  a 
mimosa  immediately  entered  upon  business.  He  showed 
himself  extremely  reasonable  in  every  respect,  declaring 
that  whatever  inroads  had  taken  place  on  the  frontier  were 
without  his  knowledge  or  sanction,  and  he  agreed  at  once 
to  a  code  of  regulations  which  might  put  an  end  to  future 
aggression. 

The  intellectual  character  of  the  natives  presents  a  pecul- 
iar and  remarkable  deficiency.  If  we  except  the  Ethiopic 
language,  which  seems  to  be  of  Arabic  origin,  and  the  un- 
known characters,  probably  Phoenician,  inscribed  by  the 
Tuaricks  on  their  dark  rocks,  there  are  no  systems  of  writ- 
ing among  all  the  aboriginal  tribes  of  Africa  except  that  of 
the  Vey  tribe,  which  was  invented  about  sixty  years  ago  by 
one  of  their  chiefs.  They  have  nothing  corresponding  to  the 
painted  stories  of  Mexico  or  the  knotted  quipos  of  Peru. 
Oral  communications  form  the  only  channel  by  which 
thought  has  been  transmitted  from  one  country  and  one  age 
to  another.  The  lessons  of  time,  the  experience  of  ages, 
have  not  hitherto  existed  for  the  nations  of  this  vast  conti- 
nent. 

Notwithstanding  so  great  a  deficiency  the  African  is  not 
entirely  lost  in  mental  apathy.  The  enterprise  of  a  perilous 
and  changeful  life  develops  energies  which  slumber  amid 
the  general  body  of  people  in  a  civilized  society.  Their 
great  public  meetings  and  palavers  exhibit  a  fluent  and 
natural  oratory,  accompanied  often  with  much  sense  and 
shrewdness.  Above  all,  the  passion  for  poetry  is  almost 
universal.  As  soon  as  the  evening  breeze  begins  to  blow 
the  song  resounds  throughout  all  Africa ;  it  cheers  the 
despondency  of  the  wanderer  through  the  desert,  it  enlivens 
the  social  meetings,  it  inspires  the  dance,  and  even  lamen- 
tations of  the  mourner  are  poured  forth  in  measured  accents. 
Their  poetry  does  not  consist  in  studied  and  regular  pieces, 
but  their  effusions  are  spontaneous,  in  which  the  speaker 
gives   utterance   to  his   hopes   and  fears   and    his  joys    and 


In  Darkest  Africa 


215 


sorrows.  All  the  k-ings  and  chiefs  are  attended  by  singing 
men  and  women,  who,  whenever  any  interesting  event 
occurs,  celebrate  it  in  songs,  which  they  repeat  aloud  and  in 
public.  Flattery,  of  course,  must  be  a  standing  reproach 
against  this  class  of  bards  ;  yet  from  this  imputation  their 
European  brethren  are  not  exempt,  while  from  the  record 
of  explorers  it  appears  that  there  is  often  present  a  sable 
Tyrtaeus,  who  reproaches  the  apathy  of  the  prince  and  peo- 
ple, and    rouses    them  to    deeds   of  valor.     Specimens    are 


Heathen  Kaffir  Dance 

wanted  of  the  African  muse;  and,  considering  that  its  effu- 
sions are  numerous,  inspired  by  nature,  and  animated  by 
national  enthusiasm,  they  seem  not  unlikely  to  reward  the 
care  of  a  collector.  The  examples  actually  given  favor  this 
conclusion.  How  few  among  our  peasantry  could  have  pro- 
duced the  pathetic  and  affecting  lamentation  which  was 
uttered  in  the  little  liimbarra  cottage  over  the  distresses  of 
Park  !  Their  songs  and  legends  are  of  traditional  history 
handed  down  from  father  to  son,  and  contain  .all  that  exists 
ainoncf  these  nations. 


216  The  Flaming  Torch 

Single-blessedness,  so  called,  is  often  due  to  inability  to 
meet  the  expenses  of  married  life.  So,  at  least,  we  are  told 
by  the  social  economists,  who  advance  this  reason  to  explain 
why  so  many  American  men  remain  single.  But  the  Pondo 
finds  his  matrimonial  problem  far  different.  With  one  wife, 
it  is  true,  he  feels  poor,  as  civilized  man  often  does.  But 
with  two  he  is  as  rich  as  the  American  with  none.  With 
three  or  four  he  is  still  more  affluent,  and  with  ten  or  a 
dozen  he  is  rolling  in  wealth.  Here  is  the  simple  explana- 
tion of  the  paradox  : 

Whereas  civilized  man  is  expected  to  support  his  wife,  the 
Pondo  leaves  to  his  women  folk  the  privilege  of  supporting 
him.  Mr.  James  O'Haire,  missionary  of  the  Catholic  Church 
in  Umtata,  explains  the  working  of  the  system  in  a  letter. 
"Polygamy,"  says  he,  "is  the  very  life's  support  of  the 
Pondos  ;  the  number  of  wives  a  man  has  settles  the  ques- 
tion as  to  his  previous  wealth,  for  each  wife  was  bought, 
and  for  her  he  must  have  paid  her  father  from  eight  to 
thirty  oxen  ;  and  now  his  wealth  may  be  estimated  by  the 
number  of  wives  and  children,  because  the  whole  affair  may 
be  simply  described  as  natural  human  farming.  Each 
daughter  is  worth,  say,  ten  oxen  ;  if  she  is  well  built  and 
pretty  she  may  sell  for  forty ;  then,  too,  the  sons  work  in 
the  care  of  cattle,  for  the  whole  of  the  Kaffir  property  con- 
sists of  cattle.  The  wives  work,  and  so  do  the  daughters. 
But  the  head  of  the  family,  the  man,  works  no  more  after 
marriage." 

There  is  one  thing  the  king  (Cetewayo)  did  not  dare  to 
touch,  and  that  was  the  marriage  law.  As  the  headman  of 
each  subordinate  kraal  had  legally  the  power  to  dispose  in 
marriage  of  his  descendants  according  to  his  will,  so  the 
head  of  the  state,  who  is  called  the  father  of  his  people,  has 
a  still  higher  and  supreme  authority  in  the  domestic  arrange- 
ments of  Zululand.  Hence  the  curious  Zulu  law  that  bache- 
lors must  have  royal  permission  before  they  can  take  wives. 
Like  other  Zulu  institutions,  this  regulation  is  attributed  to 
the    military   policy   of  the    half-mythical    Chaka,   marriage 


In  Darkest  Africa  217 

having  been  on  tlie  one  hand  discountenanced  as  detrimental 
to  military  ardor,  and  on  the  other  hand  reserved  as  a  privi- 
lege and  reward  for  military  distinction.  The  Zulu  army 
was  divided  accordingly  into  married  and  unmarried  regi- 
ments, and  the  distinction  between  the  two  made  as  marked 
as  possible,  the  latter  kind  of  soldiers  carrying  black  shields 
and  wearing  their  hair  naturally,  while  the  married  regi- 
ments shaved  their  heads  and  carried  white  shields.  It  was, 
however,  some  restraint  on  the  military  tastes  which  such  a 
social  regulation  would  seem  likely  to  foster  that  of  the  thir- 
ty-three regiments  constituting  the  Zulu  army  the  married 
regiments  were  in  a  majority  of  three,  so  that  the  men  who 
had  everything  to  lose  by  war  were  slightly  in  excess  of 
those  who  had  everything  to  gain.  Such  an  organization 
seemed  admirably  adapted  for  a  community  which,  while 
chiefly  concerned  with  the  care  of  crops  and  cattle,  had  mil- 
itary traditions  to  preserve  and  was  surrounded  by  danger- 
ous neighbors  on  all  sides. 

Sir  Bartle  Frere,  in  demanding  of  the  Zulu  king,  not  only 
a  reduction  of  his  army,  but  freedom  of  marriage  for  his 
people,  did  so  on  the  plea  that  such  changes  were  "  abso- 
lutely necessary,  in  the  opinion  of  the  high  commissioner, 
to  the  safety  of  her  majesty's  dominions  "  in  that  part  of 
South  Africa.  But  the  opinion  of  the  high  commissioner 
was  at  direct  variance  with  facts  ;  for  ever  since  Natal  had 
been  a  colony  the  Zulus  had  the  same  military  organization, 
the  same  marriage  law,  the  same  numerical  strength  that 
they  had  at  the  time  of  the  war  which  proved  disastrous  to 
Cetewayo  and  the  Zulus.  "  The  martial  system  of  Chaka," 
says  Sir  A.  Cunynghame,  "  has  been  steadily  kept  up  since 
his  time  with  but  few  relaxations."  Yet  amicable  relations 
between  Panda  and  the  colony  "  continued  uninterrupted 
through  the  chief's  long  reign  of  thirty-two  years." 

In  nearly  all  of  Africa  polygamy  remains  unshaken  as  an 
ancient  institution.  The  importance  of  a  headman  or  chief 
is  estimated  largely  by  the  number  of  his  wives.  He  pro- 
cures them  while  little  children  by  gift  or  purchase,  but  they 


218  The  Flaming  Torch 

remain  with  their  parents  or  nearest  kindred  until  they 
reach  maturity.  Before  going  to  her  husband  the  young 
woman  is  shut  up  to  be  highly  fed  and  fattened,  corpulence, 
to  their  eye,  being  a  chief  point  of  beauty.  When  suffi- 
ciently fattened  she  is  decked  with  a  headdress  of  feathers 
and  a  profusion  of  beads,  with  no  other  clothing  than  a  silk 
cloth  around  her  loins,  and  often  about  two  pounds'  weight 
of  brass  wire  around  each  ankle,  and  about  the  same  on  each 
arm.  She  is  then  brought  out  to  be  seen  and  admired  by 
her  friends  and  neighbors,  who  present  her  with  gifts  ;  then 
she  retires  to  the  harem  of  her  husband.  Slie  is  not  shut 
up  like  the  high-caste  women  of  India,  but  has  her  own 
farm,  and  goes  about  at  will  to  attend  to  her  own  affairs. 
An  African,  therefore,  coming  to  Christ  and  conforming  to 
God's  original  law  of  marriage,  does  not  have  a  house  full 
of  know-nothing  and  do-nothing  women  dependent  upon 
him  for  subsistence,  but  they  are  independent  farmers,  with 
free  use  of  all  the  land  they  may  wish  to  cultivate.  A 
polj'gamous  wife,  moreover,  may  be  released  from  her  hus- 
band by  refunding  the  value  he  paid  for  her.  Twin-born 
children,  by  an  ancient  heathen  custom,  are  immediately 
put  to  death,  and  sometimes  the  mother  shares  the  same 
fate.  One  of  the  native  ministers  of  Old  Calabar  reflated 
the  following  story  :  "  On  Wednesday  morning  a  lad  came 
in  and  told  us  of  a  twin  birth  on  a  farm.  Accompanied  by 
an  assistant  I  went  out  immediately,  and  found  the  woman 
in  the  bush.  She  was  weeping  much,  and  we  tried  to  com- 
fort her,  but  she  would  not  listen.  We  asked  her  to  go 
home  with  us,  but  she  refused,  nor  would  she  receive  any 
help.  She  would  rather  die  than  be  a  mother  of  twins. 
We  asked  for  the  infants,  but  all  were  afraid  to  tell  us.  At 
last  one  boy,  under  promise  of  a  shirt,  led  us  to  a  pot  under 
a  palm  tree.  On  turning  it  up  we  found  two  bab\'  girls 
squeezed  into  it.  We  wrapped  them  up  and  brought  them 
home  and  put  them  into  a  warm  bath.  One  of  them  died 
soon  after  the  bath,  for  the  people  had  wounded  her  on  the 
head,  cut  her  hands  and  face,  and  broken  one  of  her  ribs." 


o 


In  Darkest  Africa  221 

A  twin  baby  girl,  rescued  by  a  white  missionary,  was  edu- 
cated at  Creek  Town  Mission,  but  for  years  the  head  of  her 
tribe  insisted  upon  her  being  given  up  to  be  killed.  The 
missionaries  defended  her,  and  she  afterward  married  an  as- 
sistant teacher.  After  many  years  of  effort  the  missionaries, 
through  the  king  and  chiefs  of  the  tribes  of  this  region, 
finally  succeeded  in  securing  a  law  making  infanticide  a 
capital  offense  and  a  law  allowing  women  to  wear  clothing. 

Notwithstanding  so  many  evils,  we  repeat  that  an  ab- 
solute cloud  of  moral  darkness  does  not  hang  over  Africa. 
The  Negro  character  seems  to  be  distinguished  by  some 
features  unusually  amiable,  by  a  peculiar  warmth  of  the  so- 
cial affections,  and  by  a  close  adherence  to  kindred  ties.  If 
some  travelers  have  been  ill-treated  and  plundered,  others 
have  been  received  with  the  most  signal  and  generous  hos- 
pitality. The  Negro,  unless  when  under  the  influence  of 
some  violent  excitement,  is,  on  the  whole,  mild,  hospitable, 
and  liberal.  It  was  the  same  centuries  ago,  as  the  records 
of  Mungo  Park  and  others  testify,  and  it  is  the  same  to-day. 

Two  centuries  ago  a  famous  traveler,  Sieur  Brue,  visited  a 
native  African  chief,  and  the  account  of  his  experience  is 
not  alone  interesting,  but  is  a  valuable  example  of  the  social 
aspect  of  native  African  life  at  that  time.  He  was  received 
at  Kahayde  by  a  chief  belonging  to  the  Siratik  accompanied 
by  numerous  attendants,  among  whom  were  his  wife,  daugh- 
ters, and  some  female  slaves,  all  mounted  upon  asses.  He 
was  cordially  welcomed,  yet  the  reflection  suggested  by  his 
dealing  with  them  was  that  European  beggars,  however 
great  their  effrontery,  might  learn  much  from  the  example 
of  the  higher  circles  in  Africa.  When  they  can  no  longer 
ask  they  begin  to  borrow,  with  the  firm  resolution  of  never 
repaying  ;  but  the  worst  of  all  is  that  when  they  make  a 
present  they  expect  to  receive  at  least  double  the  value  in 
return.  Not  to  comply  with  this  rule  is  an  unpardonable 
offense,  says  the  historian. 

At  Ghiorel  he  was  visited  by  Bukar  Sire,  one  of  the 
young  princes,  and  afterward  by  the  kamalingo,  or  general. 


222  The  Flaming  Torch 

and  the  biuquenet,  a  venerable  and  aged  Negro,  who  filled 
an  office  similar  to  that  of  treasurer  or  prime  minister. 
These  two  latter  personages  assured  him  of  the  welcome 
which  awaited  him  in  court,  intimating,  at  the  same  time, 
their  readiness  to  receive  the  presents  which  he  was  under- 
stood to  have  brought  to  the  Siratik.  Brue  ordered  his 
men  to  spread  out  an  assortment  of  scarlet  cloths,  colored 
worsteds,  copper  kettles,  pieces  of  coral,  and  amber,  brandy, 
spices,  and  a  few  coins,  in  portions  respectively  destined  for 
the  king,  his  wives,  and  the  illustrious  messengers.  Yet 
these  gifts,  though  they  amply  satisfied  the  great  personage 
who  received  them,  did  not  cost  more  than  sixty  or  seventy 
pounds  sterling.  The  countr}'  was  found  level,  well  culti- 
\'ated,  and  filled  with  such  numerous  herds  of  cattle  that 
the  travelers  with  difficulty  made  their  way  through  them. 
At  a  village  called  Buksar  the  Sieur  and  his  attendants  again 
met  the  king  and  his  party  brandishing  their  lances  or  as- 
segais, as  if  about  to  strike.  This  was  explained  as  being 
intended  as  a  great  compliment.  Brue  in  return  cocked  his 
pistol  at  the  young  prince,  and  after  this  ceremony  they 
spent  the  evening  together.  After  being  introduced  to  sev- 
eral ladies  of  the  court  he  was  entertained  with  supper,  con- 
sisting of  fruits,  kouskous,  and  other  simple  products  of 
African  cookery.  Then  followed  the  folgar,  or  dance,  the 
favorite  amusement  of  the  Negroes  ;  but  while  all  the  youth 
of  the  village  were  tripping  it  gayly  upon  the  green,  amid 
songs  and  music,  he  found  more  gratification  in  the  kalder, 
or  conversation  carried  on  by  the  old  men  seated  on  the 
mats  in  a  circle.  Their  manners  were  noble  and  dignified, 
and  they  showed  retentive  memories  and  quick  apprehen- 
sion regarding  the  objects  which  came  within  their  limited 
range  of  observation. 

The  next  morning  they  were  escorted  to  the  residence  of 
the  Siratik  b}'  the  kamalingo.  The  Sieur  found  that  prince 
surrounded  by  none  of  the  pomp  which  surrounds  royalty  in 
Europe.  His  joalace  was  merely  a  cluster  of  mud  cabins,  in 
one  of  which   he   reclined   on  a   couch,  while   several  of  his 


In  Darkest  Africa  223 

wives  and  daughters  sat  on  mats  spread  on  the  ground.  The 
reception  was  friendl}-,  and  Brue  even  (obtained  permission 
to  erect  forts,  a  privilege  very  unusual  with  African  princes. 
Sieur  Brue  was  allowed  full  liberty  to  converse  with  the 
female  circle,  who  were  by  no  means  held  in  that  state  of 
austere  seclusion  which  gives  such  a  gloom  to  Mussulman 
society.  The  ladies  began  to  talk  in  the  most  lively  and 
familiar  manner,  and  as  Brue  was  thought  to  eye  with  ad- 
miration a  handsome  young  princess  of  seventeen,  she  was 
tendered  to  him  in  marriage.  He  excused  himself  as  one 
already  joined  in  the  bonds  of  matrimony,  but  the  ladies 
professed  themselves  quite  unable  to  conceive  how  this 
could  form  an  objection,  their  young  relative  being  prepared 
to  share  the  honor  with  any  reasonable  number  of  rivals. 
He  was  then  compelled  to  explain^  the  matrimonial  system 
of  Europe,  which  furnished  at  that  time  in  Africa  ample 
ground  for  wonder  and  speculation.  The  lot  of  the  French 
ladies  was  pronounced  to  be  truly  enviable,  but  Brue's  own 
situation  was  much  commiserated. 

Unfortunately  the  annoyance  arising  from  a  species  of 
fl)'ing  insect  compelled  the  court  to  retire  at  this  juncture, 
but  Brue  had  an  opportunity  of  observing  the  royal  proces- 
sion traveling  in  order.  First  came  a  numerous  body  of 
mounted  musicians,  who,  performing  on  various  instruments, 
produced  a  deafening  and  discordant  noise.  Next  followed 
the  royal  ladies,  mounted  on  the  backs  of  camels  in  large 
osier  baskets,  which  so  completely  enveloped  their  persons 
that  their  heads  only  were  seen  peeping  above.  Their 
female  domestics,  riding  by  their  side  on  asses,  endeavored 
to  enliven  them  by  incessant  talk  The  baggage  behind 
was  borne  by  a  long  train  of  camels  and  asses,  while  horse- 
men in  military  array,  with  the  king  and  his  principal  nobles 
at  their  head,  closed  the  procession.  Brue  and  his  party, 
while  all  this  gay  train  passed  b\',  exchanged  with  them 
mutual  courtesies  and  salutations. 

"  As  there  is  practically  no  social  life  or  spiritual  inter- 
course   in    the    Soudan,"    says    Slatin    Pasha,    "the   people 


224  The  Flaming  Torch 

seem  to  have  resolved  to  make  up  for  this  want  by  in- 
creasing the  number  of  beauties  in  their  harems.  Their 
object  is  to  obtain  in  marriage  as  many  wives  as  possible,  as 
well  as  concubines,  and  the  Mahdi's  tenets  allow  them  the 
fullest  scope  in  this  direction.  For  instance,  the  expenses 
in  connection  with  marriage  have  been  greatly  diminished  ; 
the  dowry  for  a  girl  has  been  reduced  from  ten  to  five  dol- 
lars, and  for  a  widow  five  dollars,  a  common  dress,  a  pair 
of  shoes  or  sandals,  and  a  few  scents.  Should  a  man  desire 
to  marry  a  girl,  her  father  or  guardian  must  consent  unless 
there  are  some  very  cogent  reasons  for  not  doing  so.  Under 
any  circumstances  they  are  held  responsible  that  their 
daughters  or  wards  become  wives  as  soon  as  they  reach  a 
convenient  age.  The  acquisition  by  the  kurin  has  become 
a  very  simple  matter,  and  in  most  cases  is  considered  merely 
a  means  of  acquiring  a  small  amount  of  personal  property. 
Moreover  a  large  proportion  of  the  women  are  quite  agree- 
able to  this  arrangement,  and  enter  into  matrimony  with 
the  object  of  obtaining  some  clothes  and  a  little  money,  or 
temporarily  changing  their  mode  of  life,  being  well  aware 
that  in  accordance  with  the  law  they  can  dissolve  marriage 
ties  without  difficulty.  If  a  woman  seeks  a  divorce  she  re- 
tains her  dowry,  unless  the  separation  arises  from  aversion  to 
her  husband,  in  which  case  the  dowry  is  returned  if  the  man 
wishes  it.  I  know  many  men  who  in  the  space  of  ten  years 
have  been  married  forty  times  at  least,  and  there  are  also 
many  women  who  during  the  same  period  have  had  fifteen 
or  twenty  husbands,  and  in  their  case  the  law  enjoins  that 
between  each  divorce  they  must  wait  three  months  at  least. 
As  a  rule,  concubines — of  whom  a  man  may  legally  have  as 
many  as  he  likes — lead  a  most  immoral  life.  They  rarely 
live  in  the  same  house  as  their  masters,  unless  they  have 
children  by  him,  in  which  case  they  cannot  be  sold,  but  in 
the  majority  of  cases  they  are  bought  with  the  object  of 
being  retained  merely  for  a  very  short  time  and  subse- 
quently sold  again  at  a  profit.  This  constant  changing  of 
hands  leads  to  great  moral  deterioration  ;  their  youth  and 


In  Darkest  Africa 


225 


beauty  quickly  fade,  and,  as  a  rule,  they  age  prematurely 
and  enter  upon  a  life  of  hardship  and  moral  degradation 
which  it  is  almost  impossible  to  conceive." 

In  regard  to  the  social  aspect  of  this  continent  the  unim- 
proved condition  in  which  it  appears  may  be  regarded  as 
that,  perhaps,  in  which  violence  and  wrong  have  the  widest 
field  and  cause  the  most  dreadful  calamities  to  the  human 
race.  The  original  simplicity,  founded  on  the  absence  of 
all  objects  calculated  to  excite  turbulent  desires  and  pas- 
sions, has  disappeared  ;  while  its  place  is  even  now  only  in 
a  small  measure  supplied  by  the  restraints  of  law.  War  has 
ever  been  the  favorite  pursuit  and  carried  on  with  the  most 
unrelenting  fury,  and  robbery  on  a  great  and  national  scale 
has  been  generally  prevalent.  African  robbery  is  not  usually 
perpetrated  by  concerJed  or  proscribed  ruffians,  who  shrink 
from  the  eye  of  man,  and  is  not  even  confined  to  the  poor 
tribes  of  the  desert,  who  see  caravans  laden  w  ith  immense 
wealth  pass  along  their  borders.  Princes,  kings,  and  the 
most  distinguished  warriors  have  long  considered  it  a  glory 
to  place  themselves  at  the  head  of  an  expedition  undertaken 
solely  for  the  purpose  of  plunder.  The  advent  of  European 
civilization,  however,  is  rapidly  making  the  entire  continent 
safe  for  travelers  on  business  or  pleasure. 


imwimmmwwm'Wi^w. 


^mm^mMm^m\m!i^^^^ie^-^^''^^^-vm 


Camel  Caravan  at  Rest 


15 


226 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER    XVII 

Native  Religion  and  Fetichism 

N  an  able  series  of  articles  a  strong  friend  of  the 
African,  Heli  Chatelain,  denies  that  they  are  fe- 
tichists,  or  worshipers  of  inanimate  objects.  "  It 
is  utterly  false,"  he  says,  "  or  else  all  supersti- 
tious people  are  fetichists.  The  Angolans  have 
the  same  system  as  the  Bantu  generally.  They 
are  not  idolaters  in  the  strict  sense,  nor  atheists, 
nor  fetichists,  nor  polytheists,  but  superstitious 
deists.  They  believe  in  one  great,  invisible  God 
who  made  all  things  and  controls  all  things. 
But  they  confess  they  know  very  little  about  his  character. 
Tradition  says  men  have  offended  him,  and  he  has  with- 
drawn his  affection  from  them.  They  do  not  formally  wor- 
ship God,  nor  do  they  ever  represent  him  in  any  visible 
form,  or  think  he  is  contained  in  a  fetich  of  any  sort;  that 
is,  in  so  far  as  they  are  purely  native.  They  do,  however, 
carve  wooden  images  which  they  call  gods;  but  the  images 
thus  called  are  always  in  the  shape  of  a  crucifix,  and  every 
native  knows  that  the  image  does  not  represent  their  own 
great,  invisible  God,  but  the  god  or  fetich  of  the  whites. 
True  fetichism  I  have  found  in  Africa,  among  ignorant  Por- 
tuguese, who  do  assert  and  believe  that  this  or  that  image 
is  God,  does  work  miracles  and  must  be  worshiped,  not  as  a 
mere  symbol  of  its  spiritual  prototype,  but  as  the  actual  in- 
carnation or  embodiment  of  it,  equal  in  all  respects  to  the 
original. 

"  What  other  figures  the  natives  have  are  not  idols,  for 
they  have  no  connection  with  the  Deity;  they  are  simple 
charms,  amulets,  or  talismans,  to  which  the  medicine  man 
has,  by  his  incantations,  imparted  certain  virtues  emanating 
from  an  inferior  spirit. 


In  Darkest  Africa  227 

"These  inferior  spirits  of  Bantu  mythology  are  generally, 
but  without  foundation,  called  African  gods.  It  would  be 
as  rational  to  call  the  native  chiefs  gods  because  they  are 
saluted  by  the  most  worshiplike  prostrations.  In  their 
various  attributes  and  powers  these  spirits  (Mabamba)  cor- 
respond closely  to  the  gods  of  classical  antiquity  and  to  their 
modern  substitutes,  the  saints,  minus  their  intercessor)'* 
office.  Each  spirit  or  demon  represents  some  force  of 
nature  and  is  morally  no  better  than  sinful  men,  and  ac- 
cording to  his  capricious  passions  deals  with  men  in  a 
friendly  or  unfriendly  manner.  The  friendship  of  the 
demons  must  be  secured  and  maintained  by  presents,  offer- 
ings, sacrifices,  and  in  these  consist  the  only  visible  worship 
or  cult  of  the  Bantu  Negro.  The  media  between  demons 
and  men  are  the  professional  medicine  men  or  women,  the 
diviners,  and  any  individual  having  the  gift  of  possession  or 
inspiration.  These  media  constitute  a  kind  of  secret  order, 
and  have  much  influence  individually  ;  they  are  not  organ- 
ized iilto  a  hierarchy,  nor  do  they  exert  any  combined  effort. 
A  few  of  the  genii,  or  demons,  are  :  Kituta-Kianda,  who 
rules  over  the  water  and  is  fond  of  great  trees  and  hilltops  ; 
Muta-Kamlombo,  who  is  king  or  governor  of  the  woodland, 
hence  of  the  chase  and  of  the  paths,  and  is  to  be  propitiated 
by  hunters  and  traveling  traders;  Lemba,to  whom  pertains 
the  mysterious  province  of  generation,  gestation,  birth, 
and  childhood.  The  belief  in  the  reality  of  these  entities 
and  in  the  power  of  their  media  is  so  deep  that  even  the 
civilized  natives,  whatever  their  position  in  the  State,  the 
Church,  the  army,  or  commerce  may  be — though  nominally 
Christians  or  professed  rationalists  and  materialists  con- 
versant with  Comte,  Spencer,  Renan — will  secretly  resort 
to  them  as  soon  as  they  find  themselves  in  great  straits. 
Yea,  not  a  few  whites,  after  prolonged  intimacy  with  the 
native  women,  have  been  found  to  become  secret  adepts 
of  th(xse  heathen  superstitions.  The  spirits  or  shades  of 
mortals  arc  never  confounded  in  the  native  mind  with  the 
genii  of  nature.      But  the  enmity  is  dreaded  as  ijiuch  as  that 


228  The  Flaming  Torch 

of  the  genii,  and  they  are  propitiated  by  the  same  or  similar 
rites." 

In  their  religion  the  Negroes  labor  under  the  disadvantage 
of  being  left  to  unassisted  reason,  and  that,  too,  very  little 
enlightened.  The  native  African  feels  intuitively  that  his 
own  fate  and  that  of  the  universe  are  ruled  by  some  supreme 
and  invisible  power;  yet  he  sees  this  only  through  the  me- 
dium of  his  wishes  and  imaginations.  He  seeks  for  some 
object  of  veneration  and  means  of  protection,  which  may 
assume  an  outward  and  tangible  shape.  He  reposes  his 
faith  in  the  doctrine  of  charms,  which  presents  a  substance 
stamped  with  a  mystic  and  supernatural  character,  capable 
of  being  attached  to  himself  individually  and  of  affording  a 
feeling  of  security  amid  the  many  evils  that  environ  him. 
The  manitou  of  the  native  Americans  is  founded  upon  the 
same  principle;  and  the  similar  use,  by  the  Catholics,  of 
images,  beads,  and  relics,  pervertedly  employed  even  under 
a  pure  and  exalted  religion,  shows  the  strength  of  this  pro- 
pensity in  the  human  mind.  In  the  Moorish  borders,  where 
writing  is  known,  it  forms  the  basis  of  "  feticherie,"  and  its 
productions,  rendered  more  brilliant  and  sensible  by  being 
inclosed  in  golden  or  ornamented  cases,  are  hung  round  the 
person  as  guardian  influences.  The  very  circumstances  of 
the  characters  being  intelligible  gives  to  them  the  power  of 
exciting  ideas  more  mysterious  and  supernatural.  Where 
this  art  is  unknown  the  most  insignificant  object  is  emplo)ed 
and  relied  on  with  the  fullest  confidence.  Absurd,  how- 
ever, as  are  the  observances  of  the  Negro,  he  is  a  stranger  to 
the  deadly  bigotry  of  his  Moslem  neighbor.  He  neither  per- 
secutes, nor  even  brands  as  impious,  those  whose  religious 
views  differ  the  most  widely  from  his  own,  but  in  his  blind- 
ness he  bows  down  to  wood  and  stone.  This  is  true  of  the 
native  of  Africa  in  almost  every  part  of  the  land  he  in- 
habits. In  his  dense  ignorance  he  feels  that  some  mys- 
terious power  is  at  work  around  him  creating  and  destroying. 
He  worships  his  graven  image,  howev^er,  believing  that  the 
invisible  spirit  is  within  it  or  round  about  it,  not  from  feel- 


o 


In  Darkest  Africa  231 

ings  of  love  and  adoration,  but  from  feelings  akin  to  fear  and 
dread  of  calamity.  He  appeals  for  help  and  mercy  where 
there  can  be  none.  His  methods  of  worship  have  been 
handed  down  from  his  forefathers  and  details  have  been 
added  from  time  to  time  until  in  his  apelike  ignorance  he 
is  chained  to  the  dust  by  his  su[)erstitious  beliefs. 

It  will  be  impossible  to  describe  the  barbaric  worship  of 
all  the  tribes  of  Africa  or  even  a  few  of  them.  In  this  work 
I  cannot  do  more  than  give  two  or  three  examples,  from 
which  my  readers  can  form  a  fair  estimate  of  the  difficulties 
the  Christian  missionary  encounters  in  his  endeavors  to 
Christianize  the  fetich  worshiper  of  this  moral  jungle,  and 
also  the  cause  of  the  wholesale  butcheries  of  human  victims 
of  an  abominable  mesh  of  superstitious  belief. 

As  in  the  days  of  the  patriarch,  the  head  of  a  house 
wields  unquestioned  authority  over  his  own  people.  The 
supreme  power  in  the  Old  Calabar  country  is  Ekpe,their  name 
for  a  leopard,  familiarly  pronounced  Egbo.  He  is  held  to  be  a 
great  supernatural  being  concealed  in  the  forests,  not  to  be 
seen  by  the  people,  though  the  head  of  a  powerful  secret 
society  composed  of  freemen  who  pay  a  large  fee  for  admis- 
sion into  the  order  of  Egbo.  It  is  somewhat  like  the  "  devil 
bush  "  of  Liberia.  Egbo's  representatives  are  seen  every- 
where, but  masked  Egbo  is  brought  into  town  only  on  great 
occasions,  concealed  in  a  small  tent  borne  by  his  "  idems," 
and  ushered  into  a  back  apartment  of  the  "  palaver  house," 
whence  his  voice  proceeds  like  the  growl  of  an  angry 
leopard.  Then  the  bustle  of  the  town  is  hushed,  all  business 
suspended,  and  the  street  door  of  every  house  closed  while 
he  remains.  In  contrast  with  this  they  sometimes  have 
processions  in  the  towns,  with  a  great  display  of  feathers, 
richly  colored  cloths  and  ribbons,  with  the  music  of  drums 
and  the  rattle  of  the  great  war  drums  of  Egbo;  and  from 
his  ark,  covered  with  fine  silk  cloths,  issue  continuous  deep 
bass  tones  of  the  trumpet  kind.  None  but  members  of  the 
order  are  permitted  to  follow  him  into  the  bush  where  he  is 
supposed   to   live.     The    laws    enacted    by   Egbo    are    pro- 


232  The  Flaming  Torch 

claimed  with  much  ceremony  and  beating  of  his  great  drum, 
and  every  breach  of  his  laws  is  a  capital  crime.  An  in- 
fluential offender,  however,  up  to  the  time  of  the  abolition 
of  substitutional  executions,  could  provide  a  slave  to  die  in 
his  stead. 

To  detect  and  punish  secret  crime  resort  was  made  to 
oaths  and  ordeals.  In  common  with  African  customs  in 
nearly  all  parts  of  the  continent  every  death  occurring, 
except  in  extreme  old  age,  was  charged  to  witchcraft.  The 
dreaded  power  to  cause  the  sickness  or  death  of  any  person 
was  called  "  ifot,"  which  the  "ju-ju"  man  was  to  detect  in 
anyone  possessing  it.  The  test  of  guilt  or  innocence  was 
to  eat  a  poisoned  bean,  large,  black,  kidney  shaped,  about 
an  inch  long.  It  is  taken  by  eating  it,  or  by  drinking  a 
tea  made  from  it.  When  the  accused  vomits  the  poison 
the  ifot  is  not  found,  and  he  is  declared  innocent.  If  it  kills 
him  he  is  adjudged  to  have  been  guilty,  a  dreadful  legacy  to 
leave  to  his  family.  It  is  supposed  that  a  man  having  the 
power  of  ifot  in  him  can  transform  himself  into  a  crocodile 
or  leopard  to  destroy  human  life.  Bands  of  murderers,  like 
the  Thugs  of  India,  concealed  in  the  skins  of  those  beasts, 
rob  and  kill  defenseless  people.  The  devil  takes  the  advan- 
tage of  the  natural  religiousness  of  the  pagan  nations  and 
leads  them  to  exchange  the  truth  of  God  for  his  lies,  which 
give  birth  to  all  the  superstitions  of  heathendom.  Human 
beings  who  recognize  no  divine  object  or  obligation  of  wor- 
ship are  found  only  in  Christian  countries. 


The  Chief  and  his  Family 


In  Darkest  Africa 


233 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

Worship  of  the  Yorubas 

NE  of  the  great  tribes  on  the  West  Coast 
of  Africa  is  the  Yorubas.  They  were 
originally  composed  of  native  and  Mo- 
hammedan elements,  and,  owing  to  the 
latter  influences,  are  said  to  be  on  the 
highest  plane  of  the  native  savage  races 
of  Africa.  Yet  superstition  with  them 
is  paramount,  and  the  lowest  and  high- 
est among  them  profess  great  reverence  for  unknown  gods. 
Their  traditions  are  passed  down  from  generation  to  gen- 
eration, and  the  mother  will  tell  her  boy,  as  soon  as  he  can 
understand,  how  his  ancestors  worshiped  the  gods  and  made 
great  sacrifices,  or  she  will  sing  to  her  girl  of  the  great  vir- 
tues of  the  women  of  her  people  in  the  ages  past  and  gone, 
and  tell  her  of  the  wondrous  power  of  Yoruba  gods. 

The  pagan  system  of  the  Yorubas  may  be  taken  as  a  fair 
sample  of  native  superstition.  It  is  divided  into  fetich- 
ism,  nature  worship,  and  divination  by  signs  or  omens. 
Fetichism,  the  lowest,  is  the  worship  of  an  object  in  which 
the  gods  are  supposed  to  convey  their  powers  to  protect  or 
defend  the  possessor.  It  is  represented  by  something  worn 
around  the  waist  or  neck,  on  the  arm  or  wrists,  on  the 
ankles,  ov  inserted  into  the  hair,  or  may  be  concealed  by  an 
outer  covering  of  cloth  or  leather.  The  objects  of  worship 
may  be  human  hair,  finger  nails,  precious  stones,  roots  of 
trees,  relics  of  the  dead,  or  in  fact  almost  anything  which 
the  priest  or  medicine  man  prescribes.  The  wearer  em- 
phatically believes  that  it  will  bring  him  good  luck  and 
protect  him  from  misfortune  of  any  kind.  The  hunter  may 
fix  it  on  the  head  of  his  spear  or  the  barrel  of  his  gun,  be- 
lieving firmly  that  his  aim  will  be  true  through  its  aid  ;  and 


234  The  Flaming  Torch 

so  on  in  all  the  functions  of  life  the  native,  in  blind  obedience 
to  the  superstition  which  has  been  imbued  into  his  brain 
from  childhood,  firmly  believes  that  the  favor  or  disfavor  of 
Heaven  is  communicated  through  this  insensate  thing,  what- 
ever it  may  be.  In  nature  worship  the  Yoruba  has  a  god 
fashioned  of  stone  or  wood,  resembling  in  a  very  crude  way 
the  form  and  features  of  a  man.  This  is  generally  a  repulsive 
looking  image,  probably  owing  to  the  indifferent  ability 
of  the  carver.  The  devout  native  may  also  possess  the 
"fetich"  in  addition  to  his  block  of  wood  or  stone.  This 
business  in  fetichism  and  idolatry  is  controlled  by  the 
priests,  whose  chief  employment  is  to  diagnose  diseases, 
foretell  the  future,  and  sell  the  fetich  charms.  One  of  these 
men  has  a  powerful  influence  over  the  people,  and  can  work 
much  mischief  among  them  if  he  is  so  inclined.  He  is 
sought  by  the  king  as  well  as  the  subject,  and  his  advice  is 
always  followed.  The  Yoruba  gods  are  many.  There  is 
Shango,  the  god  of  thunder,  whose  priests  are  white  robed, 
and  pretend  to  appease  his  wrath  when  thunder  and 
lightning  alarm  the  people.  There  is  a  god  who  is  sup- 
posed to  control  agriculture,  and  to  whom  the  first  fruits  of 
the  field  are  offered.  There  is  also  a  water  god,  whose  priests 
promise  that  for  a  certain  offering  he  will  calm  the  stormy 
seas.  There  are  gods  of  the  mountains,  valleys,  and  hills,  gods 
of  the  market  and  pathways,  household  gods,  the  peculiar 
treasures  of  individual  families,  and  gods  of  the  nation,  and 
last,  but  not  least,  is  the  god  of  war.  The  native  names  of 
these  gods  are  many  and  curious,  but  above  them  all  is  Olo- 
dumare,  the  deity  supreme,  who  reigns  over  gods  and  men. 
Since  the  native  worshiper  cannot  see  Olodumare,  who  is 
somewhere  hidden  in  the  clouds,  his  practical  nature  de- 
mands some  tangible  object  which  would  be  a  symbol  of  his 
supreme  deity,  and  the  priests  craftily  supply  it.  The  moon, 
too,  is  one  of  the  Yoruba's  objects  of  worship.  Constant 
reflection  on  its  movements  sharpens  his  intellect,  and  he 
tells  his  age  by  the  number  of  moons  he  has  seen.  To  him 
the  moon  is  a  harbinger  of  joy  and  sorrow  ;  he  supplicates 


KJ¥>/"^?j55i 


In  Darkest  Africa  237 

it  when  it  appears  in  crescent  form  to  avert  the  evils  of  the 
coming  month. 

The  Yorubas  bcHeve  in  the  transmigration  of  souls.  The 
spirit  of  a  good  man  is  believed  at  death  to  pass  into  some 
other  form,  good  and  beautiful,  while  that  of  a  man  who  has 
been  bad  or  troublesome  to  his  tribe  passes  to  the  body  of 
a  ferocious  animal  or  becomes  an  evil  spirit.  The  children 
who  die  prematurely  are  said  to  return  to  life  at  the  next 
birth  in  the  family.  When  a  native  is  dying,  tears  are  shed 
and  songs  of  blessing  are  sung  as  messages  to  relatives  and 
friends  who  have  passed  away.  On  the  third  day  after 
burial  an  early  morning  sacrifice  of  meal  and  oil  is  made 
at  the  grave  of  the  dead,  and  his  or  her  spirit  is  supposed 
to  eat  of  it.  On  the  seventh  day  after  burial  there  is  a  feast, 
preceded  by  a  morning  sacrifice,  in  which  it  is  believed  the 
spirit  of  the  deceased  and  the  spirits  of  ancestors  partake. 
After  this  feast  and  sacrifice  the  soul  of  the  deceased  is  sup- 
posed to  look  after  the  welfare  of  relations  and  friends  living. 
Yoruba  worship  is  a  species  of  spiritualism.  Spirits  are  the 
controllers  of  diseases  and  everything  else.  When  a  child 
suffers  from  convulsions  it  is  supposed  that  he  sees  a  spirit, 
which  alarms  him.  The  priest  or  medicine  man,  therefore, 
washes  the  eyes  of  the  unfortunate  child  with  a  solution 
prepared  from  the  bark  of  a  tree.  There  are  spirits  called 
Egbere,  who  are  said  to  exert  an  evil  influence  in  the  world. 
The  native  declares  these  spirits  can  be  seen,  and  that  they 
leave  graves  they  inhabit  at  midnight,  to  return  to  them 
before  daybreak.  It  is  whispered  that  sheep  riding  is  the 
delight  of  the  Egbere,  and  that  they  are  the  cause  of  the 
destruction  of  sheep  by  disease.  The  medicine  man  is  often 
called  to  drive  them  away,  or  to  supply  a  charm  or  fetich  as 
a  protection.  There  are  also  spirits  which  exert  good  influ- 
ences in  the  world  and  protect  from  danger.  If  there  is 
sorrow  at  the  grave  of  the  departed,  it  is  relieved  after  the 
seventh  day  by  the  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  the  spirit  of 
the  deceased  has  gone  to  join  those  of  his  ancestors,  com- 
municated b)'  the  medicine  man  for  a  consideration.     These 


238  The  Flaming  Torch 

humbugs  make  the  poor  deluded  creatures  believe  that  they 
have  a  sort  of  telephonic  communication  with  the  spirit 
land. 

The  one  who  offers  sacrifice  may  be  the  father  of  the  fam- 
ily. The  crafty  medicine  man  has  been  trained  by  older 
medicine  men,  and  is  qualified  both  as  doctor  for  body  and 
soul  and  as  sacrificer.  The  native  believes  that  evil  spirits 
surround  him  and  are  seeking  his  destruction  ;  they  know 
positively  of  tangible  personal  foes  who  are  anxious  for  their 
injury  or  annihilation;  therefore  they  sacrifice  to  their  deity 
and  ask  for  protection.  This  superlatively  religious  Negro 
never  thinks  of  praying  to  the  gods  for  strength  to  overcome 
personal  feelings  and  to  resist  temptations,  but  when  he  is 
overwhelmed  by  trouble,  or  has  escaped  with  his  life  in  a 
fight,  he  approaches  his  wooden  god  and  seeks  protection, 
or  melts  in  thankfulness  for  having  escaped  the  thrashing  or 
destruction  he  may  have  deserved.  His  religion  being  the 
emanation  of  fear  and  suspicion,  the  worshiper  does  not 
love  his  god,  but  is  in  dread  of  him.  The  principle  of  fear 
predominates  with  the  native  African.  When  he  approaches 
his  king  or  chief  it  is  with  fear  or  trembling.  The  father  of 
the  family,  as  well  as  the  head  of  the  tribe,  is  dreaded  by  his 
children  or  subjects,  in  the  same  way  that  the  unseen 
deity  is  dreaded  b\'  the  superstitious  native.  Children,  as  a 
rule,  fear  rather  than  love  their  fathers,  and  wives  dread 
their  husbands.  Obedience  does  not  spring  from  love,  but 
is  produced  by  fear.  From  childhood  the  punishment  of 
disobedience  is  very  severe,  and  often  the  penalty  is  death. 
The  native  rule  is  like  the  rule  of  his  gods,  it  is  stern  and 
un}-ielding.  This,  however,  is  not  alone  peculiar  to  the  Yo- 
ruba  people  and  religion,  but  is  the  general  method  in 
pagan  Africa.  The  Yoruba  sacrifice  consists  of  human  be- 
ings, animals,  and  such  fruits  as  bananas,  kola  nuts,  and  meal 
made  of  beans  and  oil.  The  gods  are  said  to  make  known 
their  will  to  men  through  the  kola  nut  ;  therefore  the  kola 
nut  has  an  importance  which  the  advertisers  of  its  virtues  in 
the  United    States   know  not.     The  nut    is  divided  into  two 


In  Darkest  Africa 


239 


parts  ;  these  are  thrown  on  the  ground,  and  if  the  inner  part 
turns  upward  it  is  taken  as  a  sign  that  the  gods  look  with 
favor  upon  the  worshiper,  but  if  they  turn  downward  the 
gods'  wrath  is  declared  evident.  The  human  sacrifices  were 
never  on  so  large  a  scale  as  was  indulged  in  by  some  other 
tribes,  but  the  principle  was  the  same.  The  blood  was 
poured  over  the  ground,  but  I  cannot  learn  that  the  bodies 
were  ever  eaten.  At  the  present  day  what  human  sacrifices 
there  are  must  be  in  secret.  The  eye  of  the  European  is 
ever  on  the  lookout,  and  the  vengeance  will  be  swift  where 
human  sacrifices  are  discovered. 

The  wily  medicine  man  often  becomes  enriched,  while  his 
victims  are  daily  impoverished  by  his  schemes  to  get  their 
property.  The  pagan  Yoruba  is  also  taught  to  believe  that 
the  gods  reveal  their  desires  by  signs.  If  on  the  eve  of 
an  expedition  he  hits  his  left  toe  against  an  object  it  is  taken 
as  an  omen  of  evil ;  if  the  right  toe,  the  omen  will  be  for 
good.  Dire  misfortune  will  happen  to  him  whose  path  has 
been  crossed  by  a  snake,  and  shooting  stars  are  sure  signs 
of  the  death  of  friends,  while  the  flight  of  some  birds  is 
taken  as  a  warning  of   ill  luck. 


The  Rhinoceros 


240 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  XIX 

Human    Sacrifices 

HERE  is  only  one  point  on  which  the 
native  African  through  his  religious 
beliefs  assumes  a  savage  character,  and 
displays  superstitious  cruelty  which  ex- 
ceeds the  horrors  of  the  Inquisition. 
The  hope  of  an  immortal  destiny, 
dimly  working  in  the  blinded  human 
heart,  leads  to  the  wildest  errors.  The 
despot,  the  object  of  boundless  homage 
on  earth,  desired  to  convey  some  ves- 
tige of  his  savage  pomp,  and  favorite 
attendants,  to  his  place  in  the  future 
world.  His  death  was  therefore  celebrated  by  the  sacrifice 
of  slaves,  wives,  and  subjects  ;  their  blood  must  water  his 
grave  ;  and  the  sword  of  the  rude  warrior,  once  drawn,  did 
not  readily  stop  ;  a  general  massacre  often  took  place,  and 
the  capitals  of  these  barbarian  chiefs  were  seen  to  stream 
with  human  blood. 

The  terrible  record  of  these  senseless  sacrifices  has  done 
much  to  stir  the  heart  of  the  civiHzed  nations  of  the  world 
to  point  their  great  search  lights  of  truth  and  civilization  over 
Africa,  and  if  human  sacrifice  is  still  made  it  is  clandes- 
tinely, and  consequently  on  a  much  less  scale  than  formerly, 
or  in  the  districts  not  yet  under  civilized  control. 

One  of  the  first  territories  in  Africa  which  Europeans 
penetrated  was  Dahomey.  At  the  beginning  of  the  last  cen- 
tury this  nation  had  distinguished  itself  by  the  conquest  of 
Whidah,  a  powerful  and  flourishing  kingdom  on  the  Slave 
Coast.  The  Dahomans,  principally  owing  to  their  supersti- 
tious beliefs,  committed  the  most  horrible  ravages,  reducing 
the  country  of    the  Whidahs    to    utter   desolation.     Thou- 


In  Darkest  Africa  241 

sands  of  men,  women,  and  children  were  ruthlessly  destroyed, 
the  villages  were  burned,  and  for  a  time  pandemonium 
reigned,  and  the  pastures  where  peaceful  flocks  had  fed  a 
few  days  before  were  streaming  with  innocent  blood.  Many 
reports  of  these  butcheries  reached  England,  and  a  Mr.  Nor- 
ris  undertook  to  visit  the  King  of  Dahomey,  to  study  his 
character  and  verify  the  truth  of  the  reports,  and  further- 
more to  arrange  commercial  relations  with  Britain  if  possi- 
ble. He  arrived  at  Dahomey  at  a  time  when  one  of  the 
annual  customs  was  taking  place.  The  great  chiefs  were 
assembled  from  every  quarter  of  the  kingdom.  What 
astonished  Mr.  Norris  in  the  first -instance  was  the  utter 
humiliation  of  the  chiefs  in  the  presence  of  their  king.  The 
very  names  of  some  of  these  chiefs  would  spread  terror 
through  Africa ;  yet  they  prostrated  themselves  before 
their  monarch,  lying  flat  on  the  ground  and  piling  dust  upon 
their  heads  in  the  most  abject  submission.  Mr.  Norris  soon 
discovered  that  the  principal  object  of  these  annual  customs 
was  that  the  king  might  flood  the  graves  of  his  ancestors 
with  human  blood  ;  a  religious  sacrifice  on  a  grand  scale. 
The  captives  were  numerous;  some  were  prisoners  of  war, 
others  condemned  criminals,  while  many  were  absolutely 
innocent  and  had  been  seized  by  lawless  violence.  These 
poor  creatures  were  brought  out  in  succession  with  their 
arms  pinioned,  and  a  feticher  laid  his  hand  upon  the  head 
to  be  severed  and  uttered  a  few  magic  words,  while  another 
from  behind  with  a  large  sword  struck  the  head  from  the 
body,  when  the  multitude  yelled  their  applause.  At  any 
time,  when  the  king  had  a  message  to  convey  to  one  of  his 
deceased  relations,  he  delivered  it  to  one  of  his  subjects,  then 
struck  off  his  head,  that  he  might  carry  it  to  the  other 
world;  and  if  anything  further  occurred  to  him  after  he  had 
performed  this  ceremony  he  delivered  it  to  another  messen- 
ger, whom  he  dispatched  in  the  same  manner. 

"  Another  grand  object  of  this  periodical  festival  was  the 
market  for  wives.     All    the  unmarried    females   throughout 

the   kingdom  were  counted  as  the  property  of  the  sovereign 
16 


242  The  Flaming  Torch 

and  brought  to  the  annual  customs  to  be  placed  at  his  dis- 
posal. He  selected  for  himself  such  as  appeared  most  beauti- 
ful and  engaging,  and  retailed  the  others  at  enormous  prices 
to  his  chiefs  and  nobles.  No  choice  on  this  occasion  was 
allowed  to  the  purchaser;  in  return  for  his  twenty  thousand 
cowries  a  wife  is  handed  out,  and  even  be  she  old  and  ugly 
he  must  rest  contented  ;  nay,  some,  it  is  recorded,  were  in 
mockery  presented  with  their  own  mothers. 

"  The  King  of  Dahomey  usually  kept  his  wives  up  to  the 
number  of  three  thousand,  and  they  served  him  in  various 
capacities,  were  trained  to  act  as  a  bodyguard,  regularly 
regimented,  and  equipped  with  drums,  flags,  bows  and  ar- 
rows, while  a  few  carried  guns.  They  all  resided  in  the 
palace,  which  consisted  merely  of  an  immense  assemblage  of 
cane  and  mud  tents,  inclosed  by  a  high  wall.  The  sculls 
and  jawbones  of  enemies  slain  in  battle  formed  the  favorite 
ornament  of  the  palaces  and  temples.  The  king's  apartment 
was  paved  and  the  walls  and  roof  stuck  over  with  these 
horrid  trophies  ;  and  if  a  further  supply  appeared  desirable 
he  announced  to  his  general  that  his  '  house  wants  thatch,' 
when  a  war  for  that  purpose  was   immediately  undertaken." 

Although  trade  was  established  with  Britain  and  regular 
supplies  of  rum  and  guns  and  powder  were  sent  to  Da- 
homey, the  customs  continued  year  after  year.  King  suc- 
ceeded king  with  the  inherited  superstition  and  sanguinary 
desires.  Human  bones  were  the  chief  ornaments  of  the  kraals, 
and  the  flow  of  human  blood  their  chief  delight.  But  the 
Nemesis  came  to  the  Dahomans  a  few  years  ago,  when  their 
superstition  w^as  their  undoing.  The  British  forces  con- 
quered these  mighty  hosts  of  savage  warriors  with  a  few 
fireworks.  Rockets  and  flying  pinwheels  were  fired  over 
their  heads  in  the  night,  and  they  fled  in  terror  in  all  direc- 
tions, firmly  believing  that  the  fantastic  wheels  and  lines  of 
fire  showing  through  the  air  were  devils.  They  quickly 
submitted,  and  the  conquerors  had  an  easy  victory.  Daho- 
mey as  a  great  nation  is  a  thing  of  the  past. 

Under    the    name    of  Assente    or  Asienti  the  people  of 


;>x 


\ 


A  Houssa  Soldier 


In  Darkest  Africa  245 

Ashantee  were  first  heard  of  in  the  eighteenth  century. 
They  did  not  come  in  contact  with  European  settlements, 
however,  owing  to  their  being  separated  from  the  sea- 
coast  by  Aquambec,  Dinkira,  and  other  powerful  nations. 
It  was  not  until  the  commencement  of  the  present  cen- 
tury that  Ashantee  became  strong  enough  to  extend  its 
length  to  the  borders  of  the  Fantees  on  the  Gold  Coast. 
The  Fantees  were  a  restless  tribe,  ready  to  give  offense, 
but  cowardly  in  battle.  In  1808  the  King  of  Ashantee 
imagined  he  received  provocation  from  them,  and  sent  an 
army  of  fifteen  thousand  warriors  against  them  and  laid 
their  territory  waste  with  fire  and  sword.  At  length  they 
came  to  Anamaboe,  where  the  Fantees  had  assembled  a 
force  of  nine  thousand  men  ;  but  these  were  routed  at  the 
first  onset  and  put  to  death,  except  a  few  who  sought  the  pro- 
tection of  the  British  fort.  The  victors,  then  considering 
the  British  as  allies  of  their  enemy,  turned  their  arms  against 
the  station,  at  that  time  defended  by  not  more  than  twelve 
men.  Yet  this  gallant  little  band,  protected  by  slender 
bulwarks,  completely  baffled  the  fierce  and  repeated  assaults 
made  by  this  barbarous  host,  who  were  repulsed  with  con- 
siderable slaughter.  Seized  with  admiration  and  respect  for 
British  prowess  the  Ashantees  made  proposals  for  a  nego- 
tiation, which  were  accepted  and  mutual  visits  were  paid  and 
returned.  The  English  officers  were  peculiarly  impressed 
with  the  splendid  array,  the  dignified  and  courteous  manners, 
and  even  the  just  moral  feeling  displayed  by  these  warlike 
strangers.  They,  on  their  side^  expressed  an  ardent  desire 
to  open  a  communication  with  the  sea  and  with  the  British, 
complaining  that  the  turbulent  Fantees  opposed  the  only 
obstacle  to  so  desirable  a  purpose.  A  treaty  was  concluded, 
and  a  good  understanding  seemed  established  between  the 
two  nations.  The  Ashantees,  however,  made  several  suc- 
cessful incursions  in  181 1  and  1816  ;  and  on  the  last  occasion 
the  Fantees  were  obliged  to  own  their  supremacy  and  en- 
gage to  pay  an  annual  tribute.  The  British  government 
judiciously   kept    aloof   from    these    feuds;  but   in    1817  a 


246  The  Flaming  Torch 

mission  was  sent  under  James,  Bowdich,  and  Hutchinson  to 
visit  the  capital  of  that  powerful  kingdom  and  adjust  some 
trifling  dissension  which  had  unavoidably  arisen. 

On  May  19,  1817,  the  mission  arrived  at  Coomassie, 
the  capital,  which  was  built  in  a  style  considerably  superior 
to  any  of  the  maritime  towns.  The  houses,  though  low 
and  constructed  only  of  wood,  were  profusely  covered 
with  ornament  and  sculpture.  The  array  of  the  caboceers, 
or  great  war  chiefs,  was  at  once  brilliant,  dazzling,  and  wild. 
They  were  loaded  with  fine  cloths,  in  which  variously  colored 
threads  of  the  richest  foreign  silks  were  curiously  inter- 
woven ;  and  both  themselves  and  their  horses  were  covered 
with  decorations  of  gold  beads,  Moorish  charms,  or  amulets, 
purchased  at  a  high  price,  and  the  whole  intermingled  with 
strings  of  human  teeth  and  bones.  Leopards'  skins,  red 
shells,  elephants'  tails,  eagle  and  ostrich  feathers,  and  brass 
bells  were  among  the  favorite  ornaments.  On  being  intro- 
duced to  the  king  the  English  found  all  these  embellish- 
ments crowded  and  concentrated  on  his  own  person  and 
those  of  his  attendants,  who  were  literally  oppressed  with 
large  masses  of  solid  gold.  Even  the  most  common  utensils 
were  composed  of  that  metal.  At  the  same  time  the  exe- 
cutioner, with  his  hatchet  on  his  breast  and  the  execution 
stool  clotted  with  blood,  gave  a  thoroughly  savage  character 
to  all  this  pomp.  The  manners  of  the  king,  however,  were 
marked  by  a  dignified  courtesy;  he  received  the  strangers 
cordially,  and  desired  them  to  come  and  speak  their  palaver 
in  the  market  place.  On  the  presents  being  carried  to  the 
palace  he  expressed  high  satisfaction  as  well  as  great  admira- 
tion of  the  English  workmanship.  After  several  other  inter- 
views he  entered  on  the  subjects  under  discussion,  which 
related  to  some  annual  gifts  formerly  made  to  the  Fan- 
tees  for  permission  to  erect  forts,  as  well  as  for  the  ground 
on  which  they  stood ;  and  the  king  demanded,  as  con- 
queror of  the  country,  that  these  payments  should  be  trans- 
ferred to  himself.  The  claim  was  small,  and  seems,  accord- 
ing   to  African   ideas,  to  have  been  reasonable ;    but  Mr. 


In  Darkest  Africa  247 

James  thought  himself  bound  to  remain  intrenched  in  the 
rules  of  European  diplomacy,  and  simply  replied  that  he 
would  state  the  demand  to  the  governor  of  Cape  Coast. 
The  king  then  told  them  that  he  expected  they  had  come 
to  settle  all  palavers  and  to  stay  and  be  friends  with  him  ; 
but  now  he  found  that  their  object  was  to  make  a  fool  of 
him.  Considering  himself  insulted  he  broke  through  the 
ceremonious  politeness  which  he  had  before  studiously  main- 
tained. He  called  out,  "  The  white  men  join  with  the 
Fantees  to  cheat  me,  to  put  shame  upon  my  face."  Mr. 
James  having  remained  firm,  the  king  became  more  incensed, 
and  exclaimed,  "The  English  come  to  cheat  me;  they 
come  to  spy  the  country  ;  they  want  war,  they  want  war  !  " 
James  merely  replied,  "No;  we  want  trade;"  but  the 
monarch's  wrath  increased  to  such  a  degree  that  he  started 
from  his  seat  and  bit  his  beard,  calling  out,  "  Shantee  foo  ! 
Shantee  foo  !  "  and  added,  "  If  a  black  man  had  brought  me 
this  message  I  would  have  had  his  head  cut  off  before  mc!  " 
A  singular  maneuver  now  took  place  in  the  diplomatic  party. 
Bowdich,  with  two  junior  members,  conceiving  that  James's 
too  rigid  adherence  to  rule  was  endangering  the  preserva- 
tion of  peace  with  this  powerful  sovereign,  resolved  to 
supersede  him  and  undertake  the  charge  of  the  negotiation. 
They  conducted  it  entirely  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  Ashan- 
tee  majesty,  who  concluded  a  treaty  with  the  English,  and 
even  made  a  proposal  of  sending  two  of  his  sons  to  be  edu- 
cated at  Cape  Coast  Castle. 

During  their  stay  at  Coomassie  the  commissioners  wit- 
nessed dreadful  scenes,  which  seem  to  sink  the  Ashantee 
character  even  below  the  ordinary  level  of  savage  life. 
"  The  customs,"  says  James,  "  or  human  sacrifices,  are 
practiced  on  a  still  more  tremendous  scale  than  at  Dahomey. 
The  king  had  lately  sacrificed  on  the  grave  of  his  mother 
three  thousand  victims,  two  thousand  of  whom  were  Fantee 
prisoners  ;  and  at  the  death  of  the  late  sovereign  the  sacri- 
fice was  continued  weekly  for  three  months,  consisting  each 
time  of  two  hundred  slaves.     The  absurd  belief   here  enter- 


248 


The  Flaming  Torch 


tained  that  the  rank  of  the  deceased  in  the  future  world  is 
decided  by  the  train  which  he  carries  along  with  him  makes 
filial  piety  interested  in  promoting  by  this  means  the  exalta- 
tion of  a  departed  parent." 

Ashantee  has  since  followed  in  the  wake  of  Dahomey. 
Ignorance  and  superstition  have  led  to  their  undoing.  The 
rivers  of  human  blood  run  no  more  there,  and  human  sacri- 
fice is  counted  as  murder  and  punished  accordingly  when 
discovered. 


Oasis  of  the  Desert 


In  Darkest  Africa 


249 


CHAPTER  XX 

Cruel  Native  Tyrants — Uganda's  Despot^  and  Sepopo 

HE  missionaries  thought  they  had  in- 
fluence over  M'wanga,  the  King  of 
Uganda,  and  that  he  would  be  less 
cruel  than  his  father.  True,  he  did 
not  obey  the  custom  and  slaughter 
all  his  brothers  on  his  accession  to  the 
throne.  When  a  boy  M'wanga  prom- 
ised the  missionaries  that  he  would 
show  them  favor  when  he  became 
king.  No  sooner  was  he  made  king, 
however,  than  he  became  antagonistic 
to  the  missionaries.  In  order  to  em- 
phasize his  aversion  he  had  three  Christian  boys  seized  and 
ordered  to  be  put  to  death  at  once.  Forthwith  they  were 
taken  to  the  borders  of  a  dismal  swamp,  where  a  framework 
had  been  erected,  and  beneath  this  was  placed  an  enormous 
pile  of  firewood.  The  boys'  arms  were  first  torn  out  of  their 
sockets,  their  bleeding  bodies  being  afterward  burnt  to  ashes 
upon  a  monstrous  fire.  This  wms  in  January,  1885.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1885,  he  ordered  the  murder  of  Bishop  Hannington. 
The  bishop  had  approached  Uganda  by  what  he  called  the 
"  back  door,"  and  for  this  "  offense  "  he  was  put  to  death. 
Early  the  following  year,  at  Usoga,  M'wanga  had  scores  of 
his  subjects  who  were  Christians  cut  in  pieces  and  burned. 
In  1888  this  human  fiend  resolved  to  destroy  all  the  leading 
Christian  and  Mohammedan  peoples  in  his  territory,  but 
they  were  on  their  guard,  fortunately.  He  failed  signally 
in  his  scheme,  and  was  compelled  to  hide.  He  adopted 
the  name  of  Nahoza  in  his  exile.  He  had  to  steer  his  own 
canoe,  in  which  he  went  to  the  south  of  the  lake,  and  that 
is  why  he  called  himself  Nahoza,  for  nahoza  means  "  pilot." 


250  The  Flaming  Torch 

The  Mohammedans  shortly  afterward  persecuted  the  Chris- 
tians, but  the  latter  fled  to  Ankole.  In  view  of  his  own  in- 
terests M'wanga  soon  professed  Roman  Catholicism,  and 
endeavored  by  intrigue  and  much  fighting  to  regain  his 
throne.  Eventually  he  succeeded,  but  it  was  by  the  help 
of  the  very  Christians  he  had  attempted  to  massacre. 

In  a  hot  dispute  over  certain  boundaries  of  Uganda  be- 
tween the  French  and  English  M'wanga  was  opposed  by 
the  British  East  Africa  Company,  and  when  ignominiously 
defeated  he  again  fled  to  the  lake,  and  was  protected  there 
by  the  French  bishop.  When  it  became  clear  that  victory 
rested  with  the  English  M'wanga  returned  and  immediately 
espoused  Protestantism  for  political  reasons,  and  has  allied 
himself  with  the  Protestants,  except  for  a  few  days  in  Au- 
gust, 1894,  when  he  considered  it  necessary  to  be  a  Roman 
Catholic. 

This  religious  chameleon  king  for  the  second  time  re- 
turned to  his  capital,  Mengo,  and  took  the  name  "  Kitata," 
which  briefly  stands  for  the  proverb,  "  Ekitata  Omuyima 
tekimumalako  ente,"  which  translated  means,  "  That  which 
does  not  kill  a  cowherd  does  not  take  away  his  cows."  King 
M'wanga  meant  by  this  that  he  must  first  be  destroyed 
before  his  kingdom  could  be  taken  from  him.  He  had  al- 
ready lost  his  cause  twice,  though  his  peculiar  methods  and 
determination  had  recovered  his  kingdom  each  time.  Just 
now  he  has  lost  it  for  the  third  time.  M'wanga  thought 
he  could  overcome  the  power  of  the  British  in  Uganda,  and 
chose  a  time  when  the  Soudanese  troops  were  out  of  the 
way.  Major  Tirnaan,  however,  by  prompt  action  frustrated 
M'wanga's  plans,  and  won  the  day  for  the  British. 

M'wanga's  palace  is  built  entirely  of  grass,  bamboo  reeds, 
and  palm  poles.  The  roof  is  supported  on  sticks  and  bam- 
boo reeds,  which  are  tied  on  to  the  poles  and  covered  with 
a  layer  of  palm  leaf  stalks,  the  whole  being  bound  together 
with  strips  of  papyrus.  The  roof  of  thatch  is  three  feet 
thick,  and  the  walls  are  made  up  of  grass  and  reeds,  the 
principal   staircase   is  poles,   while    the  steps  are    made  of 


X  ^^^Ua^.^ 


Wa-ganda  Warriors 


In  Darkest  Africa  253 

mud.  There  is  a  wall  of  poles  outside  the  palace,  the  base 
of  which  is  a  ridge  of  mud  trampled  upon  by  the  feet  until 
it  is  as  hard  as  stone.  It  is  constantly  polished  with  banana 
juice. 

M'wanga  always  squats  on  a  Turkish  rug  laid  on  bark  in 
the  center  of  the  floor,  the  surrounding  part  of  the  floor 
being  covered  with  hay,  which  often  gives  the  place  the 
appearance  of  a  stable.  Formerly  if  a  subject  happened 
to  tread  on  the  king's  mat  by  accident  he  paid  for  his  care- 
lessness with  his  life  on  the  instant.  At  the  present  day 
a  substantial  fine  is  imposed.  Although  this  monarch's 
conduct  stamps  him  as  a  savage  he  has  sufficient  knowledge 
to  know  the  value  of  a  lightning  conductor,  for  he  has  one 
attached  to  a  pole  on  the  roof  of  his  "  palace  !  " 

When  he  holds  his  parliament  he  sits  on  a  chair,  partly 
supported  by  a  servant.  Beneath  is  a  Turkish  rug  and  his 
leopard-skin  trimmed  sandals.  Only  the  king,  the  queen- 
mother,  and  the  princes  and  princesses  may  wear  leopard- 
skin  trimmings  on  their  sandals  without  dire  consequences. 

On  M'wanga's  right  is  the  prime  minister.  Next  to  him 
is  Stefano  Kalibwani,  a  favorite  chief  of  the  king.  Behind 
the  king  and  his  chiefs  are  the  members  of  the  royal  body- 
guard and  the  native  police  force.  This  barbaric  parliament 
meets  on  the  first  day  of  each  week  and  on  special  occa- 
sions, when  matters  of  importance  are  discussed,  exactly  as 
it  did  before  a  white  man  visited  Uganda. 

The  prime  minister  of  Uganda,  Apollo  Kagwa,  is  a  most 
remarkable  man.  Only  a  few  years  ago  he  taught  himself 
to  write,  and  he  is  now  "  an  author  of  certain  works  which 
have  supplied  information  hitherto  unknown  to  Europeans, 
and  of  real  value  to  science.  He  is  also  much  read,  as  a 
popular  author,  by  those  among  the  Waganda  who  are  not 
wholly  illiterate."  Some  years  ago  Apollo  was  severely 
beaten  by  the  king  for  refusing  to  help  him  in  some  vil- 
lainy, but  the  prime  minister,  although  ever  feeling  the  hu- 
miliation, has  done  his  duty  conscientiously.  The  first  two- 
storied   brick  house   in  the  country  was  built  by  Apollo  for 


254  The  Flaming  Torch 

himself.  In  1889,  when  the  Christians  drove  the  Moham- 
medans out  of  Uganda,  Apollo  was  duly  honored  for  his 
valor,  and  was  afterward  made  prime  minister  when  the 
chieftainships  were  divided. 

M'wanga  at  one  time  hated  him,  because  he  informed  the 
British  government  of  his  master's  plots  long  before  they 
were  developed.  In  the  Soudanese  mutiny  of  June,  1893, 
he  warned  the  British  in  time,  and  the  mutiny  was  nipped 
in  the  bud.  Apollo  was  also  conspicuous-  in  checking  the 
anti-English  rebellion  of  July,  1897,  when  M'wanga  again 
absconded.  At  the  present  time  he  is  serving  with  Major 
Macdonald's  party  in  quelling  the  mutiny  of  the  Soudanese 
troops. 

"  Concerning  the  superstitions  of  the  Ba-N'thu  natives," 
sa}'s  Dr.  Holub,  "  we  can  justly  say  that  they  mark  with 
bloody  stains  not  only  many  of  their  customs,  but  even 
their  history  for  ages.  An  incident  connected  with  one  of 
these  superstitions  and  the  custom  springing  from  it  I 
will  now  relate.  Fortunately  the  custom  at  present  con- 
sidered is  practiced  only  at  long  intervals,  and  I  think 
that  I  witnessed  its  last  appearance  that  September  day 
when  King  Sepopo  was  guilty  of  it.  It  was  in  the  latter 
part  of  August,  and  during  my  first  visit  to  Old  Shesheke, 
that  this  town  of  the  Ma-Shupia  was  accidentally  burned 
down.  It  was  situated  on  the  elevated  left  bank  of  the 
Zambesi  River,  a  lagoon  bordering  the  location  on  the 
south,  a  forest  on  the  west  and  north,  the  eastern  portion 
extending  into  a  grassy  plain  on  which,  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  to  the  east  of  the  old  site.  New  Shesheke  was  built. 
The  old  city  was  only  a  few  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the 
Mo-Vahill  or  Kastczia  River,  and  two  days' journey  in  boats 
above  the  Tshobe-Zambesi  junction. 

"  I  w^ell  remember  the  hardships  of  that  day.  I  occupied 
a  small  grass  hut  somewhat  larger  than  the  kennel  of  a  farm- 
er's watchdog,  and  built  just  behind  the  store  of  the 
trader,  Mr.  Westbech.  Toward  the  south,  and  just  on  the 
slope   of  land   toward   the  lagoon,   there   was  another    hut 


In  Darkest  Africa 


255 


constructed  of  poles  and  covered  with  a  roof  of  grass  thatch, 
and  separated  from  my  own  only  by  the  small  yard  of  a 
native  fisherman,  which  a  few  nights  previous  to  the  confla- 
o-ration  which  swept  away  Old  Shesheke  was  the  scene  of 


The   Ma-Rutse  King,   Sepopo 

an  exciting  event.  A  leopard  (the  forests  abounded  in  fero- 
cious wild  animals)  made  a  call  at  the  poultry  hut,  and,  being 
disturbed  at  his  late  supper  by  the  dogs,  became  fair  game, 
neatly  cornered.  ITe  was  quickly  attacked  by  the  natives 
under  King  Sepopo's  own  command.  Singing  and  yelling 
their  tribal  leopard  hunt  song,  the  dark,  naked  hunters  swung 


256  The  Flaming  Torch 

their  long  spears  and  made  a  sudden  rush  upon  the  hiding 
place  of  the  beast,  and  in  the  glare  of  numerous  torches  the 
attack  was  made.  A  growl  from  the  inside,  a  leap  through 
the  side  of  the  fragile  hut,  and  the  enraged  animal  stood 
in  the  midst  of  his  foes.  Sudden  yells  and  piercing  cries 
mingled  with  the  sharp  whirl  of  swiftly  flying  spears,  and 
the  hunt  was  as  suddenly  at  an  end  ;  the  slain  animal  lay 
upon  the  sandy  ground,  its  beautiful  coat  pierced  by  many 
spears  along  whose  blades  the  crimson  streams  were  flowing. 
"  My  elegant  (?)  apartments  (before  described)  were  sur- 
rounded toward  the  west,  north,  and  east  by  the  dwellings 
of  the  so-called  Ma-Rutse  section  of  Old  Shesheke.  They 
were  mostly  reed  huts,  and  on  the  eastern  side  were  distant 
only  about  two  yards,  those  on  the  west  about  thirty  yards, 
and  on  the  north  only  six  yards  separated  my  hut  from  the 
royal  stables.  The  fire  originated  close  by,  and  soon  the 
city  was  in  a  blaze.  Only  when  forced  to  do  so  a  group  of 
natives  just  coming  up  from  the  river  assisted  me  in  my 
pulling  down  the  nearest  houses,  and  then,  making  use  of 
gourd  shells  as  shovels,  we  threw  such  masses  of  sand  upon 
the  burning  huts  to  the  northward  that  soon  the  only  re- 
maining dangers  were  the  burning  pieces  of  reeds  fl}'ingin  the 
gale  and  the  flying  bullets  from  the  rifles  exploding  in  the 
burning  huts.  Returning  the  same  d^iy  from  an  excursion, 
Mr.  Westbech's  companion,  Mr.  Blockley,  after  thanking  me 
politely  for  having  saved  his  property,  said,  '  But  you  know, 
doctor,  I  am  quite  surprised,  when  I  think  about  it,  that 
you  did  not  run  away  instead  of  so  desperately  jeopardizing 
your  life.'  I  looked  at  the  speaker  in  wonder  ;  a  riddle  his 
words  were  to  me.  Then  he  grasped  my  hand  and  led  me 
into  the  hut  made  of  poles,  partly  plastered  with  red  clay, 
and  covered  with  a  dry  thatch  roof.  Approaching  a  large 
case  he  unlocked  it  and  raised  the  lid,  and  looking  down  I 
felt  like  I  had  suddenly  landed  upon  an  iceberg.  There  in 
quiet  repose  they  lay,  those  light  gray  bags  of  soft  woolen 
cloth,  piled  up  in  tiers,  each  containing  five  pounds,  or  in 
all  seven  hundred  pounds  of  gunpowder! 


In  Darkest  Africa  257 

"  Nearly  all  of  the  subjects  of  King  Sepopo  who  lived  in 
the  city  and  its  vicinity  were  immediately  employed  in  the 
building  of  New  Shesheke,  the  houses  of  which  were  also 
chiefly  of  grass  and  reeds.  He  actually  succeeded  in  creat- 
ing a  new  city  in  two  months.  There  were  among  the 
houses  intricate  but  rather  interesting  styles  of  architec- 
ture, and  the  streets  were  cleaner  and  the  place  altogether 
more  habitable  than  most  of  the  capitals  of  the  kings  reign- 
ing over  the  south  Zambesi  territories.  A  morning  in  the 
month  of  September  timed  the  event  which  I  shall  now 
relate.  During  the  few  days  immediately  preceding  a  close 
observer  would  have  noticed  an  unwonted  anxiety  in  the 
families  of  the  chief  residents  in  Shesheke,  and  had  he 
risked  a  reconnoiter  at  night  in  the  edge  of  the  forest 
bounding  the  city  he  would  have  seen  several  troops  of 
natives  disappearing  in  its  depth.  Most  of  the  chiefs  were 
apprised  of  the  fact  that  the  king  and  his  council  of  old 
men,  who  thought  themselves  possessed  of  supernatural 
powers,  had  determined  upon  the  death  of  a  boy  as  an 
offering  for  the  especial  welfare  of  the  newly  built  city,  and 
none  but  the  child  of  a  kosane  (chief)  could  answer  the 
purpose.  This  accounted  for  the  great  anxiety  in  the 
families  of  the  chiefs  and  the  clandestine  flight  of  natives 
intrusted  with  the  escort  of  children  to  distant  villages  or 
hiding  places  in  the  forest.  When  the  appointed  day 
dawned  Alo-Shoku,  the  royal  executioner,  sent  his  spies  to  the 
dwellings  of  the  chiefs,  only  one  of  whom  returned  with  a 
favorable  report  to  the  king  and  his  private  council.  He  had 
seen  a  boy  of  high  rank  at  play  in  his  father's  yard.  Im- 
mediately the  tyrant  ordered  this  chief  on  a  distant  mission 
requiring  all  of  his  servants  and  boats.  He  was  the  only  chief 
who  was  not  aware  of  the  frightful  business  of  the  day,  and 
promptly  obeyed  orders.  In  Sepopo's  courtyard  a  number 
of  men  observing  absolute  silence  were  crouched  on  the 
smooth  cemented  floor.  The  king  tarried  in  his  hut, 
engaged  in  an  eager  conversation  with   Liwa,  a  member  of 

his  council.     About  this  time  a  servant  of  Mo-Shoku  made 
17 


258  The  Flaming  Torch 

his  appearance  at  the  hut  of  the  absent  chief.  He  modestly 
seated  himself  near  the  inclosure  of  reeds  and  waited  to  be 
addressed.  After  a  few  minutes  one  of  the  wives  of  the 
absent  chieftain,  by  chance  the  mother  of  the  boy  at  play, 
came  out  and  exchanged  a  greeting,  after  which  the  servant 
told  her  that  the  chief  just  departed  wished  to  be  ac- 
companied by  his  little  son,  a  lad  of  about  seven  years. 
The  mother  made  searching  inquiries,  and  at  last  bade  her 
child  follow  the  man.  Laughing  and  lightly  stepping,  the 
happy  child  followed  him,  and  after  a  circuitous  walk  he 
turned  toward  the  royal  dwelling,  where  his  entrance  dis- 
turbed the  perfect  silence  that  reigned.  The  men  rise  at 
once,  and  Mo-Shoku  hastens  into  the  presence  of  the  king, 
saying,  '  Mo-Rena,  mo-sheman '  (King,  the  child  is  pres- 
ent). Sepopo  rises,  and  with  a  swift  glance  at  the  boy 
leaves  the  royal  yard,  followed  by  all  present.  The  boy 
follows  with  curiosity  and  astonishment.  What  does  all 
this  mean?  As  they  depart  from  the  courtyard  the  band, 
three  kalebass  piano  players  and  four  drummers,  in  waiting 
outside,  begins  to  play  and  moves  on,  avante  garde.  The 
procession,  consisting  of  about  seventy  persons,  marches 
rapidly  toward  the  river.  A  sudden  cry  from  a  hut 
frightens  the  boy.  It  was  the  sight  of  the  crowd  moving  in 
that  direction,  more  than  the  sound  of  the  music,  that 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  wife  of  a  chief,  who,  peering 
through  her  reed  fence,  recognized  the  king  and  his  suite, 
and  seeing  the  boy,  the  anxiety  which  prompted  her  a 
few  nights  before  to  send  her  child  into  the  forest  was 
aroused.  'They  have  indeed  taken  a  child.'  The  woman 
keenly  felt  the  pain  of  sorrow.  Was  not  she  a  mother? 
Does  the  real  mother,  does  the  child  know  where  they  are 
leading  it  ? 

"  Having  arrived  at  the  boats  the  party  quickly  embarked 
and  pulled  out  toward  the  opposite  bank,  leaving  the  sylim- 
bas  behind,  but  accompanied  by  the  drums.  They  disem- 
barked upon  the  white  sand.  The  boy  hesitated,  but  was 
led   out.     Sepopo  seated  himself  upon  a  'sibura'  (wooden 


Matebele  Warriors  Rsturning  from  a  Battle 


In  Darkest  Africa  261 

chair)  ^vhich  had  been  made  expressly  for  him,  and  was 
surrounded  by  his  suite.  The  child  is  placed  before  the 
king  in  the  midst  of  the  assemblage.  Then  Mo-Shoku's 
servants  throw  the  unsuspecting  boy  to  the  ground,  and  for 
the  first  time  he  begins  to  cry.  Hardly  has  he  touched  the 
earth  when  the  old  sorcerers  seize  liim  and  pinion  his 
struggling  arms  and  legs  to  the  ground.  The  child  screams 
for  help  in  vain.  The  drums  are  beaten  and  tambours 
loudly  sing  the  praises  of  Sepopo,  *  Mo-Rena  a  Zambesi' 
(King  of  the  Zambesi).  The  relentless  executioners  heed 
not  the  pitiful  pleadings,  *  Ra,  ra,  ra,  ra '  (Father,  father 
father,  father).  One  of  the  old  barbarians  seized  the 
right  hand  of  the  child,  and  while  pronouncing  certain 
spells  disjointed  the  thumb.  For  the  moment  the  boy 
became  dumb  by  the  sudden  pain,  but  only  for  the  moment; 
then  a  shrill  cry  of  distress  escaped  the  innocent  sufferer, 
repeated  again  and  again  above  the  sound  of  the  slavish  sing- 
ers. The  unfeeling  wretch  continues  to  separate  the  lower 
joints  of  all  the  fingers  of  the  right  hand,  while  an  equal 
monster  performs  the  same  painful  operations  on  the  left 
hand.  Every  stroke  is  followed  by  spurts  of  blood,  and  the 
white  sands,  and  the  skins  worn  by  the  torturers  are 
deeply  dyed.  Having  finished  with  the  fingers,  they  do  the 
same  with  the  toes  of  their  victim.  The  death  cry  of  the 
tortured  boy  becomes  weaker,  still  the  words,  '  Mum-mum 
bulaza '  (They  kill  me),  uttered  intermissively  and  in  a  con- 
vulsed manner,  are  plainly  heard  by  the  crowd  that  has 
gathered  on  the  Shesheke  side  of  the  river,  yet  fear  to 
exhibit  their  horror  and  anger.  The  separated,  bleeding 
joints  of  fingers  and  toes  are  gathered  up  by  one  of  the 
cruel  monsters,  wiped  on  his  leather  apron,  and  wrapped 
up  in  a  piece  of  tanned  hide.  One  of  the  men  who  holds 
the  child  grasps  his  hoarsely  rattling  throat.  The  chest 
heaves  slightly  at  intervals,  a  quiver  runs  through  the  limbs, 
the  eyelids  tremble  for  the  last  time,  and  the  glaring  eyes 
become  fixed  and  glazed.  As  the  man  takes  his  hand  from 
the  child's  throat  a  bystander  gives  the  corpse  a  blow  with 


262  The  Flaming  Torch 

his  kerrie,  which  dashes  the  skull  to  pieces.  The  gang  of 
murderers  return  to  their  boats,  taking  the  body  with 
them,  which  in  midstream  is  slipped  overboard;  unobserved, 
and  land  under  the  shady  mimosa  trees  toward  the  royal 
huts. 

*'  Opposite  to  the  scene  of  horror  a  woman  suddenly  rushed 
out  of  the  amazed  crowd  and,  standing  up  to  her  knees  in 
the  water  on  the  edge  of  a  great  depth,  where  many  bathing 
children  had  fallen  victims  to  the  crocodiles,  she  addressed 
the  landing  crowd  in  a  heartrending  voice.  Her  hands 
were  clasped  in  despair,  and  she  demanded  her  child,  her 
only  mo-shemani  (son),  whom  she  had  that  morning  adorned 
with  her  own  fancy  beads.  No  answer  from  the  crowd,  no 
consolation  whatever  was  afforded  the  poor  mother.  The 
people  ran  down  to  drag  her  out  of  the  water,  lest  she  be 
carried  away  by  one  of  the  huge  monsters  infesting  the  dark- 
blue  waters.  The  women  and  girls  wept  with  her,  and  the 
men  returned  silently  to  their  work,  but  one  pushed  his 
way  toward  the  unfortunate  mother.  '  Mo-Sarri  [married 
woman],  leave  off,  leave  off,  throw  down  your  voice.  You 
know  the  bad  heart  of  the  Ma-Loj.  One  of  these  may  be 
annoyed ;  you  will  be  condemned  as  a  witch  ;  you  will  go, 
and  who  will  look  after  your  other  children  }  '  The  woman 
gazed  at  the  speaker,  tried  to  choke  down  her  heavy  sobs, 
dropped  senseless,  and  was  carried  to  her  house. 

"  Having  arrived  at  Sepopo's  dwelling,  the  barbarians  dis- 
appeared in  his  storehouse,  where  at  that  time  the  three  war 
drums  were  kept.  In  one  of  these  the  separated  joints  were 
put,  after  renewing  the  blood  spots  on  the  drumhead  with 
their  fresh  blood.  The  charm  was  now  complete  and  had 
found  its  place  of  repose,  this  magic  which  was  to  pre- 
serve New  Shesheke  from  hostile  attacks  or  destruction  by 
fire." 

"  The  Zambesi  natives,  as  a  rule,  believe  in  the  necessity  of 
these  bloody  sacrifices,  not  only  because  they  originated  in 
the  brain  of  a  cruel  tyrant,  but  also  on  account  of  being 
very  closely  related  to  the  superstitious  beliefs  of  the  people 


In  Darkest  Africa  263 

themselves.  King  Sepopo,  although  pretending  before  his 
subjects  that  his  cruelties  were  necessary  to  the  welfare  of 
the  country,  was  conscious  of  the  grossness  of  his  crimes, 
endeavored  to  perpetuate  them  secretly  as  in  the  case  of  the 
boy,  so  that  European  residents  who  did  not  know  him 
intimately  were  not  aware  of  them  until  after  their  ac- 
complishment. He  knew  well  the  teaching  of  the  mission- 
aries, and  he  hated  and  avoided  them  because  it  condemned 
his  evil  life.  The  king  had  surrounded  himself  with  a 
council  of  doctors,  who  were  looked  up  to  by  the  people  as 
magicians  and  possessors  of  supernatural  powers.  Most  of 
them  were  old  men  who  were  acquainted  with  the  qualities 
of  some  useful  herbs,  fruits,  etc.,  and  who  could  cure  the 
bite  of  a  snake,  dysentery,  and  some  other  diseases.  By 
this  means  they  gained  the  confidence  of  the  people,  but 
with  this  knowledge  they  united  superstitions  beyond  all 
limits,  which  just  suited  Sepopo's  purposes.  Anything  was 
right,  no  matter  how  horrible  in  its  conception  and  dread- 
ful in  its  execution,  when  countenanced  by  the  council  of 
doctors. 

"In  endeavoring  to  convince  his  people  that  he  possessed 
supernatural  powers  the  king  made  use  of  juggling  and 
other  tricks.  This  added  to  the  fear  in  which  he  was  held 
and  suppressed  every  thought  of  resistance.  Very  often 
the  people  north  of  Zambesi  told  me  that  Sepopo  could 
suddenly  make  himself  '  invisible,'  that  powder  and  ball 
could  have  no  effect  on  him,  even  from  a  white  man's 
gun.  It  was  at  last  the  failure  of  one  of  his  professed 
'charms'  that  gave  occasion  for  the  revolt  of  the  Ba-Rutse 
and  his  downfall,  confirming  my  opinion  that  slavish  fear 
was  all  that  held  the  tribes  together  under  his  rule.  When 
he  bad  condemned  twelve  of  his  headmen  to  death  he  pre- 
pared a  charm  from  the  entrails  of  a  slain  bullock,  which, 
placed  before  their  huts,  was  to  effectually  prevent  their 
escape  by  making  them  insane  when  they  crossed  it,  so  they 
would  return  to  their  huts  in  their  madness.  They  took  to 
flight ;    but  the    king  proclaimed   publicly  that   his  charm 


264 


The  Flaming  Torch 


would  cause  their  speedy  return.  The  people  awaited 
them  with  great  interest,  but  they  continued  their  flight, 
and  they  ceased  to  dread  Sepopo. 

"  The  reason  for  their  condemnation  was  the  unwilling- 
ness of  these  brave  men  to  approve  the  king's  murderous 
practices.      Among  these,  Inkambela,  the  governor  of  the 


Sepopo's  Serving  Maid 

Ba-Rutse,  was  included,  and  the  condemnation  of  this  man 
brought  about  the  revolt  of  the  Ba-Rutse.  Sepopo  sent  a 
large  body  of  warriors  to  suppress  this  insurrection  ;  but 
the  army,  instead  of  carrying  out  his  orders,  made  friends 
with  the  rebels,  and  went  for  the  king's  newest  residence, 
Katonga.  Sepopo  was  informed  of  their  approach,  and  he 
sent  more  troops  to  resist  them,  but  even  this  body  of  men 
immediately    returned    and    attacked    Sepopo's    residence, 


in  Darkest  Africa  265 

without  awaiting  the  main  body  of  the  rebels.  Following 
the  advice  of  Mo-Kumba,  a  Ma-Shupia  chief,  Sepopo  took  a 
boat,  intending  to  take  refuge  at  Impalera,  at  the  Zambesi- 
Tshobe  junction.  When  in  the  act  of  descending  into  the 
boat  he  was  accidentally  shot  by  one  of  his  subjects.  The 
bullet  passed  through  his  chest  and  broke  his  arm  ;  never- 
theless he  escaped,  and  his  wounds  were  dressed  by  a 
trader.  Still  being  pursued,  he  went  up  the  Tshobe  River, 
but  he  died  shortly  after. 

"  Sepopo  was  a  usurper  and  had  begun  his  reign  with  the 
execution  of  his  elder  brothers,  who  were  entitled  to  the 
throne,  and  ever  fearing  that  their  death  might  be  avenged 
he  was  distrustful  to  the  extreme.  He  tried  to  make  him- 
self feared  by  means  of  violence  and  barbarous  cruelty.  He 
succeeded  in  this  in  a  certain  measure  only,  and  his  throne 
gradually  trembled  until  it  toppled  and  fell.  Sepopo,  like 
most  other  central  African  rulers,  made  use  of  many  super- 
stitious customs  exercised  by  the  Zambesi  tribes  for  a  long 
time;  and,  at  the  same  time,  by  the  advice  of  some  of  the 
members  of  his  private  council,  he  added  to  the  horrors  oi 
the  superstitious  rites,  and  even  succeeded  for  a  time  in 
making  some  of  his  subjects  look  upon  him  as  a  super- 
natural being,  and  they  so  feared  him  for  many  years 
that  the  greatest  outrages  by  him  were  acknowledged  as 
just  and  necessary.  Most  of  the  Zambesi  nations  are  not 
quite  as  ignorant  as  many  of  the  south  Zambesi  and  Ba- 
N'thu  nations,  and  not  as  degraded  as  the  Hottentot 
tribes;  but,  brought  up  under  a  slavish  subjection,  they 
were  afraid  to  shake  off  the  cruel  yoke,  or  even  entertain 
the  thought  of  it.  It  would  have  been  an  easy  task  to 
enlighten  them,  because  it  was  only  fear  that  made  them 
look  upon  such  cruelties  as  'just,'  but  such  an  attempt 
would  have  brought  about  their  execution."  Marvelous 
reformations  have  already  been  wrought  by  the  faithful  mis- 
sionaries who  have  labored  among  them,  and  a  brighter  day 
has  dawned  upon  these  benighted  peoples. 


266 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  XXI 

Sacrificed  to  Crocodiles 

HE  Vey  tribe  on  the  West  Coast, 
who  have  been  causing  considerable 
trouble  to  the  British  government, 
are  a  superior  race  of  Negroes. 
They  have  a  system  of  writing  in- 
vented by  one  of  their  chiefs  about 
sixty  years  ago,  and  they  are,  more- 
over, famous  as  weavers  of  fine 
cloth  and  for  their  agricultural  prod- 
ucts. Up  to  a  very  few  years  ago, 
however,  they  were  guilty  of  a  hor- 
rible worship  of  crocodiles,  in  addition  to  the  usual  com- 
plication of  other  superstitious  adoration ;  and  the  most 
repulsive  part  of  this  crocodile  worship  was  the  sacrifice  of 
babes  to  the  cruel  jaws  of  the  horrible  monsters.  Here  is 
the  story  told  by  a  native  prince,  Beselow,  son  of  a  former 
King  of  Bendoo : 

"  This  is  a  great  festival  that  takes  place  in  Bendoo  once  in 
every  five  years.  When  all  the  people  had  arrived  who  were 
likely  to  come  a  blast  from  many  hundred  horns  announced 
that  the  ceremonies  were  about  to  begin.  The  scene  was  a 
strikincf  one.  The  men,  and  women  too,  rushed  down  to 
the  shores  of  the  lake,  pushing  and  scrambling  for  a  place 
in  a  manner  which  was  often  dangerous  to  both  life  and 
limb.  My  mother  told  me  before  going  that  she  would  offer 
prayers  to  the  gods  for  me,  and  she  believed  that  they  would 
grant  the  request  of  a  loving  mother  for  her  son.  I  was 
not  permitted  to  see  the  sacrifice,  but  I  will  tell  the  story 
from  my  mother's  description. 

"  The  hour  for  the  sacrifice  was  at  hand.  Suddenly  a 
deep  silence  fell  over  all.     Fifty  or  more  medicine  men  were 


In  Darkest  Africa  267 

approaching  the  shore.  They  wore  long,  floating  white 
robes,  and  looked  very  solemn  indeed. 

"About  a  dozen  feet  from  the  shore  could  be  seen  the  red, 
hungry  eyes  of  a  half  hundred  crocodiles.  Their  great, 
gaping,  slimy  mouths  were  opened  greedily,  as  if  they  were 
eager  for  the  expected  feast.  The  low,  drawling  voices  of 
the  medicine  men  were  heard  for  a  half  hour  or  more  in  an 
unintelligible  harangue;  then  through  the  crowd  there 
pushed  their  way  twenty-five  slave  women  with  their  naked 
babes  in  their  arms.  At  this  point  the  musicians  began  to 
play  upon  their  instruments,  the  dancers  began  to  execute 
some  wild,  fantastic  dances,  the  singers  began  to  howl — for 
no  other  word  expresses  it — the  voices  of  the  medicine 
men  grew  louder  and  shriller,  and,  amid  all  this,  the  specta- 
tors, with  many  a  prayer  and  promise  to  the  gods,  fell  upon 
their  knees  and  rocked  themselves  to  and  fro  as  though  in 
mortal  anguish  ;  and  all  the  while  the  gleaming  eyes  of  the 
crocodiles  seemed  to  dilate  and  grow  larger,  and  their  capa- 
cious, horrible  mouths  seemed  to  look  more  greedy  and 
expectant.  The  only  quiet  ones  in  the  crowd  were  the 
slave  mothers  and  their  babes.  To  look  upon  them  was  a 
sight  never  to  be  forgotten.  The  tears  were  silently  drop- 
ping from  their  eyes  as  they  bent  over  their  little  babes, 
who  were  cooing  and  throwing  up  their  little  chubby  hands 
into  the  air,  happily  unconscious  of  the  horrible  fate  await- 
ing them.  The  mothers  quickly  and  quietly  brushed  away 
the  tears,  however,  for  if  caught  in  the  act  of  weeping  for 
their  babes  their  own  life,  in  all  probability,  would  have 
paid  the  penalty. 

"  These  babes  were  to  be  offered  as  sacrifices  to  the  croco- 
diles, and  what  greater  honor  could  be  conferred  upon  a 
slave  woman  than  to  be  asked  to  offer  her  child  as  a  sacrifice 
to  the  gods?  After  the  priests  had  finished  their  long  ha- 
rangue, they  took  the  babes  from  their  mother's  arms,  one 
by  one,  and  anointed  their  naked  little  bodies  with  fragrant 
oils  and  salves  ;  and  then  the  mothers,  in  their  supposed 
joy  at  the  proceedings,  were  expected  to   dance  and  caper 


268  The  Flaming  Torch 

about,  and  sing  a  propitiatory  song  to  the  gods,  in  which 
they  fervently  hoped  that  the  sacrifice  would  please  them, 
and  be  sweet,  tender,  and  toothsome.  How  dreadful  it  was! 
What  a  strain  it  must  have  been  upon  those  mothers  to 
have  pretended  joy  and  pleasure  when,  in  reality,  they  must 
have  been  wretched  and  miserable  beyond  expression ! 
Bravely  they  hid  their  feelings  and  danced  about,  throwing 
their  arms  into  the  air  and  screaming  shrilly,  perhaps  in 
this  way  venting  their  grief,  as  one  after  another  of  their 
infants  was  cast  into  the  waters  of  the  lake  to  the  waiting 
greedy  animals.  The  crowd  watched  the  little  black  bodies 
with  fascinated  eyes  as  they  disappeared  into  the  cavernous 
mouths  of  the  crocodiles,  leaving  a  long  stain  of  crimson 
blood  dyeing  the  waters  of  the  lake.  Distinctly  on  the 
shore  could  be  heard  the  monsters  as  they  cracked  the 
bones  of  the  unfortunate  babes,  whose  pitiful  cries  might 
well  have  touched  a  heart  of  iron  ;  and  all  the  time  the 
mothers  danced  and  sang  merrily.  At  last  it  was  over,  and 
only  the  eager  eyes  and  cruel  heads  of  the  monsters  looking 
for  more  prey  to  devour,  and  the  blood-reddened  waters 
bathing  the  shores,  remained  to  tell  of  the  awful  scenes 
just  enacted.  Though  I  was  young  and  accustomed  to 
terrible  scenes,  yet  when  this  scene  was  pictured  to  me  I 
remember  that  I  felt  a  throb  of  something  akin  to  pity  as  I 
thought  of  those  poor  w^omen  who  had  sacrificed  their 
children." 

King  Cottam,  of  the  Veys,  sent  one  of  his  sons  to  a  mis- 
sion near  his  territory  by  the  advice  of  a  trader,  but  it  seems 
paradoxical  that  a  king  of  an  intelligent  tribe  should  think 
so  much  of  the  missions  as  to  send  his  son  there  while  he 
encouraged  the  terrible  superstitious  sacrifices  to  the  croco- 
diles. Fortunately  when  he  died  his  brother  killed  all  the 
crocodiles,  and  some  of  the  fetich  priests  too,  and  discounte- 
nanced fetichism  in  Bendoo  and  all  his  territory.  He  was 
not  a  Christian,  however,  but  an  atheist.  He  had  met  a 
party  of  men  in  Spain,  where  he  had  traveled  a  few  years, 
who   convinced   him  that   the  gods  did   not   exist,  and  he 


> 


.-il'Wyiiji.ujili^i^iJiijili:' 


In  Darkest  Africa  271 

commenced  a  demonstration  of  his  convictions  by  com- 
manding the  destruction  of  the  hideous  crocodiles,  much  to 
the  joy  of  the  mothers  of  Bendoo. 

King  Cottam's  method  of  deahng  with  prisoners  taken  in 
battle  is  interesting  and  a  fair  sample  of  the  sanguinary 
dealings  of  other  African  monarchs  with  poor  mortals  who 
fall  into  their  clutches  in  similar  manner,  A  day  was  aj)- 
pointed  for  the  honor  of  the  chiefs  and  men  who  had  fought 
in  the  late  war  with  the  Cobbars.  The  soldiers  were 
grouped  together  wondering  among  themselves  who  was  to 
be  promoted  and  M'ho  would  lose  his  head,  or  who  would 
be  made  a  chief.  At  last  the  rumbling  roll  of  the  kettle- 
drum announced  that  the  king  was  waiting  to  review  them. 
He  was  seated  in  state,  with  his  councilors  grouped  about 
him.  He  was  gorgeously  arrayed  in  a  scarlet  jacket  and  a 
white  undershirt  embroidered  in  gold  and  silver.  The 
chiefs  took  their  places  on  either  side  of  him  in  order  of 
their  rank,  while  a  little  to  the  right  of  him  were  his  drum- 
mers, dancers,  and  musicians.  One  by  one  the  chiefs  pros- 
trated themselves  before  him,  named  over  the  men  in  their 
ranks  whom  they  desired  to  reward  and  the  unfortunates 
who  had  exhibited  cowardice.  The  former  were  advanced 
in  rank,  while  the  slaughter  of  the  latter  was  something 
terrible.  The  councilors  tried  in  vain  to  alter  the  king's 
decision  where  some  of  the  alleged  cowards  were  concerned, 
but  to  no  purpose,  except  in  the  cases  of  a  few  of  the 
strongest  men,  who  were  granted  their  lives,  but  these  were 
jeered  at  and  treated  with  scorn  and  contcmj)t  by  the  other 
soldiers.  Cowardice  is  an  unpardonable  crime  with  the 
heathen  despot.  The  next  scene  in  this  sanguinary  drama 
was  the  arraignment  of  the  wretched  prisoners.  One  by 
one  they  were  marched  up  to  the  king,  who  said  to  each  of 
them,  "  Are  you  willing  to  fight,  to  die,  for  me?"  Some  of 
them  answered  in  the  affirmative,  but  others  were  struck 
dumb  with  fright,  while  others  were  silent  from  choice  or 
boldly  defied  him  and  the  certain  death  which  awaited 
them.     If  a  great  fall  of  blood,  instead  of  rain,  had  poured 


272  The  Flaming  Torch 

into  the  courtyard  and  streets  of  Bendoo  it  could  not  have 
made  a  more  ghastly  scene  than   the  one  the  setting  sun 
illumined  on  that  dreadful  day.   Heads  and  bodies  were  piled 
up  high,  while  ruddy  gore  flowed  in  streams  and  filled  the 
hollows  everywhere  about.     But  it  was  a  time  of  rejoicing 
for  the  victors,  and  the  fires  were  lighted  and  the  war  dance 
became  the  diversion  of  the  people  after  the  king's  venge- 
ance had  been  satisfied.     But   it  was  not  alone  the   king's 
vengeance,  but  the  fetich  priests  who  had   to  be  appeased. 
The  slaughter  was  intended  to  please  the   gods,  and  it   was 
considered  necessary  that  the  ground  should  be  covered  with 
human  blood.    It  would  take  volumes  to  give  examples  from 
life  of  similar  scenes  enacted  in  every  king's  kraal  of  every 
tribe  of  the  native  African.    They  are  all  guilty,  and  only  vary 
their  human  slaughter  by  more  or  less  ceremony  or  details. 
Cetewayo,   king    of  the    Zulus,   was    reported   to   be   more 
humane  than  the  kings  of  Dahomey,  or  Ashantee,  or  Benin, 
but  he  delighted  in  slaughter  of  the  innocent,  nevertheless. 
But  the  mighty  are  fallen,  and  very  soon  superstitious  mur- 
derers will  be  focused  under  the  eye  of  the  law  of  the  gov- 
ernment which  has   claimed  the  territory  these  murderous 
heathens  have  no  right  to    govern.     I   believe  the  last  of 
these  monarchs  to  meet  his  Nemesis  was  the  King  of  Benin, 
the  reputed  city  of  blood.     In  August  last  this  tricky  in- 
dividual entrapped  some  English  officers  and  ordered  their 
massacre;  but   he  did  not  count  the   cost,  and    it  was  not 
many  days  before  he  paid  it  with  his   life   and  that  of  his 
followers  and  the  partial  destruction  of  his  city. 

Customs  of  the  Old  Calabar  tribes  will  serve  to  illustrate 
the  "  habitations  of  cruelty  "  so  general  in  Africa.  When 
Duke  Efrim,  King  of  Duke  Town,  died,  he  simply  left  this 
world  to  go  to  another.  He  was  a  great  man  in  this  world, 
and  now  he  must  take  with  him  a  retinue  of  his  faithful 
followers  to  enable  him  to  maintain  his  rank  in  the  country 
to  which  he  was  going.  An  eyewitne-s  thus  describes  the 
burial  of  the  king  : 

"The  victims  were  prepared,  and    in    a  particular  part  of 


In  Darkest  Africa  273 

the  house  of  the  late  king  the  grave  was  dug.  The  mouth 
of  it  was  something  Hke  the  hatchway  of  a  ship,  and  witliin  it 
was  hollowed  out  for  some  yards.  At  one  end  a  complete 
cavern  was  formed  for  the  corpse  of  the  duke,  and  this  part 
was  laid  with  valuable  cloth.  When  all  was  ready  for  the 
interment  five  of  the  youngest  of  the  wives  of  the  duke  were 
brought  to  the  grave.  Their  legs  and  arms  were  broken 
and  turned  up  toward  their  bodies.  The  executioner  then 
placed  one  of  them  on  the  spot  where  the  head  of  the 
corpse  was  to  rest.  Another  was  laid  on  the  spot  where 
the  right  arm  was  to  be  stretched,  another  for  the  left  arm, 
and  one  for  each  leg.  Their  cries  and  groans  were  heart- 
rending, but  no  heart  there  seemed  to  feel.  Even  their 
parents  were  proliibited,  on  pain  of  instant  death,  to  lament 
the  fate  of  their  children.  The  corpse  was  next  put  in  its 
place.  Then  six  freemen  were  each  compelled  to  eat  a  poison 
nut,  which  soon  caused  death.  They,  too,  were  placed 
near  the  corpse.  Then  began  the  sacrifice  of  slaves,  about 
fifty  of  whom  were  knocked  by  a  club  into  the  open  grave. 
Some  were  not  killed  by  the  blow,  but  it  mattered  not. 
They  were  speedily  dragged  from  the  mouth  of  the  yawn- 
ing sepulcher  and  packed  along  its  sides  by  the  fetich  men, 
and  the  outer  hole  was  filled  up  upon  the  living  ,and  the 
dead.  The  horrid  scene  ended  in  the  erection  of  a  ju-ju 
house  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  in  which  were  placed  broken 
sofas,  tables,  chairs,  plates,  and  dishes- — all  they  thought 
the  dead  man  might  want  in  the  other  world — broken  to 
prevent  thieves  in  this  world  from  stealing  them." 

The  native  word  used  for  our  word  soul  is  ukpong.  It 
signifies  that  which  dwells  within  a  man,  on  which  his  life  de- 
pends, but  which  may  detach  itself  from  the  body  and  visit 
other  places  and  persons,  and  return  to  its  abode  in  the  man. 
The  primary  meaning  of  the  word  ukpong  is  the  "  shadow  of 
a  person,"  which  becomes  the  symbol  of  the  invisible  soul. 

It  is  difficult  to  estimate  the  power  the  witch  doctor 
wields,  not  only  in  Pondoland.  in  South  Africa,  but  through- 
out all  the  native  tribes.  We  are  accustomed  to  speak  of  the 
IS 


274 


The  Flaming  Torch 


despotism  of  African  chiefs,  and  of  the  fearfully  autocratic 
sway  which  holds  the  lives  of  their  subjects  completely  at 
the  mercy  of  their  lightest  caprice,  but   after  all  it  is  not  so 


A  Typical  Witch  Doctor 

much  the  chiefs  who  are  responsible  as  the  witch  doctor, 
whose  power  and  influence  are  practically  unlimited  and 
under  whose  control  the  head  of  the  tribe  holds  the  scepter 
of  government. 


In  Darkest  Africa  275 

This  man,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Yorubas  and  others,  i)ro- 
fesses  to  hold  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  darkness  ;  he  is 
regarded  as  being  able  to  understand  all  mysteries  ;  he  is 
credited  with  power  to  drag  into  the  light  perpetrators  of 
evil  and  to  track  to  the  death  all  wicked  designers  upon  the 
chiefs  sacred  person  and  property  ;  in  a  word,  he  has  au- 
thority to  strike  a  merciless  and  relentless  blow,  under  the 
guise  of  supernatural  knowledge,  wherever  his  charm  may 
indicate. 

Chiefs  are  brought  up  and  nourished  upon  the  idea  that 
no  evil  can  befall  them  in  the  natural  course  of  events,  and 
so  should  sickness,  and  indeed  any  calamity,  overtake  them,, 
it  is  at  once  attributed  to  witchcraft,  and  the  services  of  the 
doctor  are  immediately  brought  int^o  requisition.  It  is  of  little 
use  for  a  chief  to  say  what  his  ailments  are  ;  it  is  beyond  his 
province.  This  is  the  special  domain  of  the  doctor,  and  all 
must  be  left  to  him  to  "  ukunuka  " — "  to  smell  out  " — where 
he  thinks  fit,  and  to  use  his  victims  as  he  may  think 
proper. 

But  let  me  cite  a  few  cases: 

A  chief  was  seized  with  inflammation  of  the  bowels, 
brought  on  through  excessive  drinking.  Everybody  knew 
that  he  was  slowly  but  surely  killing  himself,  and  yet  the 
doctors,  after  hours  of  frantic  manipulation  of  their  charms, 
gravely  asserted  that  the  drink  was  bewitched  ;  conse- 
quently six  innocent  victims  were  sacrificed,  and  their  pos- 
sessions, amounting  to  hundreds  of  cattle  and  sheep  and 
horses,  confiscated. 

The  son  of  a  chief  was  afflicted  with  ophthalmia,  a  very 
common  disease  in  that  country  ;  thousands  suffer  from  it 
annually.  The  doctor's  verdict,  however,  was  that  the 
young  man's  eyes  were  being  consumed  by  some  evil  in- 
fluence which  had  been  brought  to  bear  against  him  ;  so 
four  innocent  beings  were  cruelly  butchered  for  the  alleged 
offense. 

Another  was  suffering  from  ulcerated  legs,  due  more  to 
the    want    of  cleanliness    than    anything  else.     This   case 


276  The  Flaming  Torch 

proved  obstinate;  the  doctors  were  consulted,  and  their 
conclusion  was  that  the  patient  was  being  nightly  visited 
by  a  snake  and  a  frog  which  were  sent  by  some  evilly  dis- 
posed persons,  and  as  long  as  this  was  allowed  to  go  on 
there  could  be  no  hope  of  a  cure.  The  result  was  that  two 
men  were  charged  with  the  offense,  their  brains  knocked  out, 
and  their  bodies  hurled  over  a  precipice. 

But  one  of  the  most  curious  cases  that  I  remember  was 
that  of  a  man  very  corpulent,  who  was  taken  ill  with  loss 
of  appetite  and  a  gradual  wasting  away.  He  was  treated 
medicinally  for  some  time,  but  with  no  beneficial  results; 
his  friends  became  quite  alarmed,  for  he  seemed  to  be 
visibly  growing  less.  Now  it  happened  that  another  man 
bearing  the  same  name,  and  strange  to  say  equally  as  cor- 
pulent, lived  but  a  short  distance  away.  This  proved  a 
very  unfortunate  and  disastrous  coincidence  to  him.  The 
doctor's  charms  and  divinations  all  pointed  very  conclu- 
sively to  him  as  being  the  author  of  all  the  woe  and  all  the 
evil  attending  his  namesake.  "  How  was  it  possible,"  said 
he,  "  for  two  men  with  the  same  name,  and  with  stomachs 
of  the  same  size  to  live  so  near  each  other?  It  was  plain 
enough  that  stomach  number  one  was  being  consumed  by 
stomach  number  two."  Consequently  number  two  must 
bear  the  onus  of  the  awful  charge,  and  die.  And  die  he  did, 
together  with  his  wife  and  eldest  son.  A  terrible  sight  it 
was  to  see  their  mangled  bodies  being  devoured  by  beasts 
and  birds  of  prey. 

Now  in  all  these  cases  it  needed  no  word  from  the  para- 
mount chief  to  carry  into  execution  the  verdict  of  the  witch 
doctor.  Absolute  power  is  vested  in  him  from  whose  lips 
the  sentence  falls,  and  the  last  word  has  scarcely  died  away 
when  a  hundred  fiends  in  human  form  speed  away  to  tor- 
ture and  to  kill  regardless  of  the  piteous  cries  for  mercy 
and  of  the  innocence  of  the  victims  whose  blood  they  are 
shedding. 

On  the  Gulf  of  Guinea  the  victims  are  brought  to  the 
mouth   of  the  open  grave,  knocked   on  the  head  from  be- 


In  Darkest  Africa 


277 


hind,  and  one  after  another  tumbled  in,  to  be  buried  dead 
or  alive.  On  the  West  Coast  they  are  sometimes  tak-en 
to  a  pond  of  ferocious  catfish,  and  while  still  alive  cut  in 
small  pieces  and  fed  to  the  fishes.  On  the  Upper  Congo  a 
sappling  is  often  bent  to  the  ground,  the  neck  of  the  victim 
attached  thereto  wiih  a  looj),  and  the  head  severed  from  the 
body  by  a  stroke  from  behind  ;  and  on  the  lower  river  an 
execution  is  sometimes  accomplished  by  "  planting "  the 
man  in  a  standing  position,  packing  the  loose  earth  around 
solid  up  to  the  chin,  and  then  driving  a  sharpened  stake 
down  throueh  the  head. 


Zebra  of  the  Uplands 


278 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER   XXII 

The  Zulus  and  ^'JudicIaP'  Murders 

HE  Zulus  are  recorded  as  an  insignificant 
tribe  until  Chaka,  by  the  conquest  and 
assimilation  of  neighboring  tribes,  made 
of  them  a  mighty  people.  The  evidence 
of  tradition  even  fails  us  ^\'ith  regard  to 
the  Zulu  branch  of  the  Kaffir  race.  The 
only  tradition  they  have  of  their  own 
origin  is  confounded  with  one  concern- 
ing the  origin  of  mankind  ;  a  tradition 
which  makes  the  birthplace  of  the  hu- 
man race  a  bed  of  common  reeds,  and  reminds  one  of  Moses 
in  the  bulrushes.  Waitz,  the  great  German  ethnologist, 
.says  the  name  Zulu  means  the  wanderers  or  the  homeless, 
and  it  is  possible  that  the  Zulus  have  been  driven  or  have 
wandered  to  their  present  territory  from  the  more  central 
parts  of  the  great  continent. 

Wherever  the}'  came  from,  howe\'er,  they  are  simply  at 
present  a  South  African  tribe  of  Negroes  who  had  enemies 
on  the  north  of  them  in  the  wild  Amaswazi  and  Amatonga 
tribes  ;  on  their  west  the  unscrupulous  and  aggressive  Dutch 
Boers,  or  farmers,  who,  as  a  rule,  do  not  anticipate  the  ele- 
vation of  the  native  races  above  serfdom  ;  while  on  the 
south,  divided  from  them  by  the  Tugela  Ri\er,  is  the  Eng- 
lish colon)'  of  Natal.  The  sea  hems  in  Zululand  on  the 
east,  so  that  the  former  Zulu  king,  Panda,  referring  to  the 
gradual  advance  eastward  over  his  territor}-  by  the  Dutch 
farmers,  spoke  with  a  clear  understanding  of  his  position 
when  he  said,  "  In  a  little  while  the  Boers  will  not  leave  me 
room  enough  on  which  to  stantl." 

Panda  was  the  father  of  the  late  King  Cetewayo,  and  the 
brother  of  his  predecessors,  Cliaka  and  Dingan.    Like  his  pred- 


In  Darkest  Africa  279 

ecessors,  Chaka  and  Din^an,  and  also  like  his  son  Cetewayo, 
he  always  maintained  a  powerful  army  of  native  warriors 
about  his  kraal.  His  custom  was  to  compel  every  family  to 
send  their  young  men  once  in  every  three  years  for  a 
month's  military  service,  and  at  the  general  review,  when 
their  names  were  called  over  by  the  king,  some  would  be 
seized  for  some  real  or  supposed  offense,  their  heads  cut 
off  in  the  royal  presence,  their  wives  and  children  distributed 
as  prizes  among  their  executioners,  and  their  cattle  confis- 
cated for  the  use  of  the  army  during  the  month. 

Panda  reigned  from  1840  to  1872,  though  from  the  year 
1856  Cetewayo  appears  to  have  shared  with  him  the  exer- 
cise of  sovereignty.  During  all  this  time  the  awful  su- 
perstitious butchery  scarcely  attracted  attention  ;  yet  that 
it  was  of  regular  occurence  is  certain  from  the  letters  of 
Mr.  Robertson  and  his  wife,  who  had  charge  of  the  first 
English  mission  in  Zululand  from  the  year  i860  to  1865. 
These  letters  give  conclusive  evidence  of  the  deplorable 
social  condition  of  the  Zulus  at  that  time.  Thus,  in  Decem- 
ber, i860,  Mr.  Robertson  writes: 

"  Murders  are  of  almost  weekly  occurrence  ;  I  mean  ju- 
dicial ones.  I  do  not  give  all  the  blame  to  the  chiefs  ;  the 
people  are  equally  to  blame.  They  murder  one  another  on 
false  accusations,  which  the  chiefs,  for  the  sake  of  the  cattle, 
are  but  too  ready  to  act  upon." 

In  1861  it  is  the  same  story: 

"  This  country  has  been  in  a  very  unsettled  state,  scarcely 
a  week  going  past  without  one  hearing  of  murders  being 
committed,  in  some  instances  of  whole  kraals  at  a  time." 

The  belief  in  witchcraft  superstition  was  the  chief  cause  of 
these  judicial  murders,  and  Cetewayo,  who  sought  to  abol- 
ish capital  punishment  for  crimes  generally,  advocated  death 
as  the  punishment  for  the  crime  of  witchcraft.  In  March, 
1863,  Mr.  Robertson  writes  again  : 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  during  the  past  three  months 
there  has  been  a  good  deal  of  killing  going  on  in  this  coun- 
try,   chiefly    on    the    charge    of    witchcraft.     In    this    they 


280 


The  Flaming  Torch 


seem  to  be  infatuated.  ...  I  have  heard  of  I  don't  know 
how  many  cases,  in  some  of  w  iiicli  Cetewayo  interfered  and 
would  not  allow  the  man  'smelt  out '  to  be  killed.  In  one 
case  near  here  a  great  man  was  smelt  out,  and  Cetewa}o 
said  the  doctors  were  liars;  they  must  smell  again  ;  and  the 
result  was  that  the  man  escaped,  but  four  of  his  people  were 
killed."     And  again:  "The   whole   countr\'  is  so  pervaded 


A  Zulu  Family 

with  superstition  and  cruelty  it  sometimes  seems  appalling 
.  .  .  yet  outwardly  their  lives  are  so  simple,  so  pastoral,  so 
quiet."     What  a  paradox  ! 

A  belief  in  witchcraft  cannot  be  destroyed  by  Gatling 
guns,  and  it  is  a  bad  index  of  the  future  in  store  for  a  savage 
race  when  its  barbarous  practices  are  made  a  ground  of  of- 
fense against  it  by  a  more  civilized  neighbor.  Even  the 
Dutch,  who  have  robbed,  shot,  and  enslaved  the  Zulus  with- 
out  mercy,  insisted,  when  they  made  Panda  king,  that  "  in 


In  Darkest  Africa  281 

future  he  should  allow  no  punishment  of  death  to  be  inflicted 
for  witchcraft  or  other  ridiculous  superstitious  practices," 
nor  "allow  any  woman,  child,  or  defenseless  aged  person  to 
be  murdered."  And  from  tiic  day  of  Cetewayo's  coronation 
in  1872  the  government  of  Natal  forced  from  him  promises 
of  similar  reforms. 

The  principal  reforms  in  question  were  to  the  following 
effect : 

1.  That  the  indiscriminate  shedding  of  blood  should  cease. 

2.  That  no  Zulu  should  be  condemned  without  open  trial 
and  public  examination  of  witnesses  for  and  against  him,  and 
that  he  should  have  a  right  of  appeal  to  the  king. 

3.  That  no  Zulu's  life  should  be  taken  without  the  previ- 
ous knowledge  and  consent  of  the  king,  after  such  trial  and 
right  of  appeal. 

4.  That  for  minor  crimes  the  loss  of  property  should  be 
substituted  for  death. 

In  1875  Bishop  Schreuder,  the  Norwegian  missionary,  was 
commissioned  to  present  to  the  king  a  printed  copy  of  these 
new  laws,  which  the  latter  was  supposed  to  have  assented  to 
at  his  coronation.  The  bishop  told  the  king  that  his  gov- 
ernment would  make  comparison  and  determine  whether  his 
doings  were  in  accordance  with  that  law,  and  Cetewayo, 
pointing  to  the  mat  at  his  feet,  said,  "  Lay  it  down  there." 
*'  No,"  replied  the  bishop,  "  that  will  not  do  ;  the  book  is  not 
at  your  feet,  but  you  are  at  the  feet  of  the  book.  .  .  .  Do 
not  make  any  difficulty."  Cetewayo  then  put  his  head  be- 
tween his  hands  and  muttered,  "  O  dear,  O  dear,  what  a  man 
this  is!"  He  was,  indeed,  so  far  overcome  that,  instead  of 
asking  as  usual  for  a  royal  cloak,  he  could  only  bring  him- 
self to  beg  for  the  present  of  a  dog  to  bark  for  him  at  night. 

Cetewayo  did  his  best  to  abolish  capital  punishment  for 
all  crimes  except  witchcraft,  having  substituted  for  the  su- 
preme penalty  of  the  Zulu  law  the  loss  of  one  or  both  eyes. 

Livingstone  says  that  one  of  the  excuses  by  which  the 
Boers  pretended  to  justify  their  raids  upon  native  African 
tribes   has    been  "  an  intended    uprising    of    the    doomed 


282  The  Flaming  Torch 

tribe ;  "  and  the  British  war  party  in  Natal,  which  desired 
the  annexation  of  Zululand,  resorted  to  the  same  excuse; 
and  the  fear  of  a  Zulu  invasion  was  nursed  until  it  culmi- 
nated in  the  ultimate  conquest  of  Zululand  by  the  British. 

Cetewayo  was  described  by  Mr.  Robertson  as  "  undoubt- 
edly friendly  to  missions."  Great  hopes  w^ere  entertained 
at  first  of  his  conversion,  and  it  is  on  record  that  at  a  cer- 
tain morning  service  "  it  was  most  striking  to  observe  the 
deep  interest  of  Cetewayo  and  his  people.  .  .  .  As  far  as 
he  could  he  joined  in  the  responses  most  earnestly,"  and 
after  the  service  buried  his  head  in  his  hands  for  some 
time,  as  if  in  reflection.  This  favorable  disposition  on  the 
part  of  the  king,  however,  was  of  no  long  duration. 

The  following  incident  is  illustrative  of  the  Zulu  feeling 
as  regards  missions  about  the  year  1862.  Two  Zulu  con- 
verts were  laughed  at  by  tlieir  neighbors,  and  one  of  them 
was  threatened  by  his  relatives  with  death.  When  Mr. 
Robertson  pleaded  their  cause  with  Cetewayo  he  replied: 
"  You  see  that  to  believe  is  a  new  custom.  We  follow 
the  customs  of  our  forefathers.  1  like  you  missionaries, 
but  I  wish  my  people  only  to  attend  church  on  Sundays 
and  then  return  to  their  homes.  I  do  not  wish  any  of  ni)' 
people  to  become  Christians.  These  boys  are  soldiers  ; 
there  are  the  great  kraals  at  which  they  are  known  and 
where  they  serve.  B\-  becoming  Christians  they  are  lost  to 
me,  and  if  I  consent  to  them  all  others  will  follow  them." 

There  is  a  traditional  prophecy  in  Zululand  which  helps 
to  render  intelligible  Zulu  dislike  to  missions,  and  that  is  a 
prophecy  said  to  have  been  made  to  King  Chaka  by  one 
Jacob,  an  escaped  convict.  It  was  to  the  effect  that  "  a 
white  man,  assuming  the  character  of  a  teacher,  would  one 
day  arrive,  and  would  one  day  obtain  permission  to  build  a 
house  ;  that  shortly  after  he  would  be  joined  by  one  or  two 
more  white  men,  and  in  the  course  of  time  an  army  would 
enter  his  country,  which  would  subvert  his  government,  and 
eventually  the  white  people  would  rule  in  his  stead."  It  is 
remarkable  how  this  prophecy  was  fulfilled. 


Fair  Zulus  in  Full  Dress 


In  Darkest  Africa  285 

There  is  no  record  of  an}'  missionary  ever  having  been 
killed  in  Zuluhmd,  nor  is  it  certain  that  converts  as  such  have 
suffered  persecution.  Wlien  they  were  killed  it  has  been 
generally  as  wizards,  though  the  fact  of  conversion  may 
occasionally  have  given  animus  to  the  charge.  Cetewayo's 
treatment  of  the  missionaries  was  on  their  own  showing 
uniformly  civil  and  hospitable. 

The  later  wars  of  the  British  against  the  Zulus,  the  terri- 
ble slaughters  on  both  sides,  the  capture  of  the  noble  Cete- 
wayo,  his  imprisonment  in  Cape  Coast  Castle,  and  his  sub- 
sequent death  through  grief  at  the  fall  of  his  kingdom,  are 
doubtless  fresh  in  the  memory  of  the  reader.  1  will,  there- 
fore, proceed  to  review  the  Zulu  of  the  present  da}%  and 
missionary  work  among  his  tribe. 

To-day  the  Zulus  are  far  more  numerous  than  is  gener- 
ally supposed.  In  Zululand  proper  there  are  nearly  two 
hundred  thousand,  in  the  Natal  colony  there  are  nearly  five 
hundred  thousand,  in  Matabeleland  there  are  about  three 
hundred  thousand,  in  Gazaland  about  the  same  number. 
There  is  another  tribe  of  Zulus  called  the  Abangoni,  num- 
bering over  one  hundred  thousand.  In  all  about  one 
million  four  hundred  thousand  Zulus  are  spread  over  the 
territory  named.  Besides  this  number  there  is  another 
tribe  of  them  at  the  lower  end  of  Lake  Tanganyika,  which 
was  discovered  by  Stanley  during  his  search  after  Living- 
stone. This  is  the  Amazonian  tribe.  They  are  cannibals, 
and  no  missionary  has  so  far  been  able  to  make  friends  with 
them.  In  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon  there  is  yet  another 
tribe  of  Zulu-speaking  people,  all  discovered  by  Stanley. 

These  people  are  intellectually  bright,  strong  of  physique, 
and  capable  of  carrying  heavy  burdens.  They  are  of  vary- 
ing  shades  of  color,  from  light  brown  to  black.  The  hue 
most  preferred  by  them  is  the  brown,  or  "  black  with  a 
little  red  in  it,"  as  they  say.  Their  language  is  philosoph- 
ically constructed  and  easily  acquired.  Here  is  the  Lord's 
Prayer  in  Zulu  : 

"  Baba   wetu    ucsezulwini,    mali    dunnyiswe,   igama    lako. 


286  The  Flaming  Torch 

umbruso  waho  ma  uze,  intando  )-ako  mayewziwe  emhlabem 
lapa  n'yeninga  sezulwimi.  U  si  pe  nambla  isinkvva  setu,  y 
si  zekele  izono  zitu  njeugo  tiuna  si  za  ba  zakela  ezono  za- 
baiiya.  U  nga  si  ngenise  ekulingweni,  kodwa  u  sikulule 
ekuoneni,  ngokuba  umbuso  u  ngu  wako  uamandhls,  uobu- 
kosi,  ku  be  iigo  npakadi." 

"  It  took  me  about  a  year  to  acquire  the  language,"  said 
Dr.  Tyler  ;  "  but  for  thirty-nine  years  I  was  employed  in 
teaching  in  that  beautiful  tongue,  and  often,  while  speaking 
in  English,  Zulu  words  rushed  into  my  mind  demanding  ut- 
terance, and  at  times  I  found  myself  thinking  in  Zulu." 

One  method  of  the  missionary  in  gradually  drawing  the 
Zulu  from  barbarism  to  Christianit}-  and  manhood  is  as  fol- 
lows: 

A  young  man  comes  for  the  first  time  to  a  mission  sta- 
tion. He  waits  for  the  missionary  to  salute  him,  and  the 
missionary  when  he  sees  him  says: 

"  Upunanina?  "     (What  do  you  want?) 

"  Ngiyatanda  beusabien  jela  imali."  (I  want  to  work 
for  money.) 

He  does  not  think  of  becoming  a  Christian.  That  is 
something  he  does  not  comprehend.  He  needs  cash  to  buy 
something  for  himself  or  his  mother,  or  to  pay  the  annual 
hut  tax  levied  by  the  British  government.  There  he  stands 
in  his  savage  beauty,  erect,  dressed  grotesquely  with  his 
head  all  stuck  about  with  an  abundance  of  hens'  feathers, 
porcupine  quills,  and  spoons.  The  vertebrae  of  snakes,  or 
other  odds  and  ends,  and  various  things,  as  love  charms, 
along  with  pieces  of  crocodile  skins  and  panthers'  teeth,  are 
dangling  about  his  neck,  while  the  tails  of  monkeys  and 
other  wild  animals  wriggle  about  witli  every  motion  of  his 
waist ;  a  real  representative  of  the  native  African  barbarian  ; 
a  genuine  specimen  of  the  heathen  in  his  blindness  ;  noble  in 
form,  forehead  high,  eyes  sparkling  and  full  of  expression, 
o*"  speech  voluble,  indicating  energy  and  emotion.  Set  him 
at  work  in  your  garden,  or  taking  care  of  your  house,  and 
you  begin  to  work  in  him  and  for  him. 


In   Darkest  Africa 


287 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

Religious  Superstitions  in  Garengfanze 

OME  interesting  particulars  are  given  by  Mr. 
Swan,  the  missionary.  Speaking  of  Alsiri, 
a  great  chief  who  happened  to  be  sick,  he 
siiys  :  "  On  June  7,  1889,  I  found  the  chief 
a  little  brighter;  he  was  sitting  with  two 
of  his  wives,  Mahanga  and  Nakuruwa,  in 
the  midst  of  a  mass  of  charms  such  as  I 
had  never  seen  before — gourds,  baskets, 
curiousgongs  made  from  lions'  skins,  spears, 
idols  of  various  shapes  and  sizes,  sundry 
wires  with  pieces  of  human  skin  or  scalp 
stuck  on  them,  stools,  etc.  One  of  these  wires  with  its  ghastly 
ornaments,  he  informed  me,  was  given  him  by  his  father, 
Kalasa,  when  he  (Msiri)  left  the  country  beyond  Tangan- 
yika to  come  to  these  parts.  In  the  midst  of  all  these  I  was 
requested  to  take  a  seat  b}'  his  side.  Native  beer  was 
brought  and  spurted  over  the  charms,  himself,  and  his  wives. 
He  then  requested  me  to  take  som.e  into  m}^  mouth  and 
spurt  over  them,  that  they  might  have  the  white  man's 
blessing  ;  but  as  these  charms  represented  the  spirits  of  the 
departed  I  refused.  They  next  brought  a  goat  as  an  offer- 
ing to  the  spirits.  It  was  laid  on  a  heap  of  stones  and  its 
throat  was  cut.  Its  inwards  were  taken  out  and  carefully 
examined  ;  the  lungs  were  inflated,  but  all  was  found  per- 
fectly in  order,  and  they  seemed  very  well  pleased.  Had 
an)'thing  unusual  been  noticed  it  would  have  been  counted 
an  ill  omen.  The  chief's  brother,  Likuka,  then  took  some 
of  the  blood  and  sprinkled  it  on  the  chief's  forehead  and 
breast.  Rings  were  cut  out  of  the  skin  and  placed  on  the 
fingers  of  the  chief's  left  hand,  after  which  the  flesh  was  cut 
up  and  divided  among  those  present.     In  reply  to  his  ques- 


288  The  Flaming  Torch 

tion,  '  What  do  you  think  of  these  things?'  I  answered,  '  It 
is  all  nonsense  ;  for  when  people  die  their  spirits  go  to  God 
who  gave  them  and  do  not  return.'  'Ah!'  said  he,  'that 
is  your  wisdom  ;  this  is  ours.'  "  "  Three  days  after,"  con- 
tinues Mr.  Swan,  "  I  visited  the  chief  again,  and  was  sur- 
prised to  find  him  sitting  outside  dressed  in  European 
clothes.  He  explained  that  during  the  night  he  had 
dreamed  he  was  in  Portugal,  England,  and  a  few  other 
places,  so  on  rising  he  had  dressed  up  in  European  fashion 
and  told  his  people  he  had  just  returned  from  the  white  man's 
country.  All  who  went  to  see  him,  young  and  old,  had  to 
come  and  shake  hands  and  bid  him  welcome  back."  Again 
Mr.  Swan  writes  :  "  The  chief  still  continues  his  ghastly  work 
of  putting  his  people  to  death.  I  am  sick  at  heart  hearing 
of  this  one  or  the  other  being  executed,  some  charged  with 
witchcraft  and  others  interfering  with  his  wives.  Only  a  few 
days  ago  two  were  tied  up  charged  with  witchcraft;  one  was 
put  to  death  and  the  other  mutilated  in  a  shocking  way.  I 
might  mention  scores  and  scores  of  cases,  as  these  execu- 
tions take  place  every  few  days." 

In  his  recent  work  on  Central  Africa,  Sir  Harry  John- 
stone studied  the  native  subjects  of  the  British  Protector- 
ate very  closely,  and  they  are  very  fair  representatives  of 
the  whole  of  equatorial  Africa.  "  The  Negro,"  says  he 
"believes  that  life  does  not  finish  when  the  body  dies.  He 
has  been  led  to  this  vague  hope  of  immortality  insensibly. 
It  has  seemed  impossible  that  the  father  of  the  household, 
the  headman  of  the  village,  or  the  chief  of  the  tribe,  could 
abruptly  vanish  when  he  has  exercised  such  an  important 
influence  during  his  lifetime.  It  would  appear  as  if  the 
Bantu  Negro  had  built  up  God  by  degrees  out  of  ancestor 
worship.  Dr.  Bleek  pointed  out  years  ago  that  the  common 
word  for  God  over  the  eastern  half  of  Bantu  Africa — Mu- 
lungu — could  be  traced  to  the  Zulu  word  '  Munkulunkulu  ' — 
the  great,  great  one,  or,  the  old,  old  one.  There  is  some 
truth  in  this,  but  I  think  that  a  second  belief  has  come  to 
meet  ancestor  worship,  a  belief  in  the  personification  of  the 


In  Darkest  Africa  289 

heavens,  of  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  the  rain,  thunder, 
Hghtning;  some  mighty  being  or  agency  wIkj  exercises 
ruling  power  over  the  universe,  the  chief." 

They  all  undoubtedly  believe  in  a  supreme  God,  as  the 
Yorubas  believe  in  their  Olodumare  ;  but  this  is  not  alto- 
gether associated  with  their  notion  of  life  beyond  the  grave. 
They  believe  that  the  spirit  lives  perpetually  if  it  inhabited 
the  body  of  a  chief  of  great  influence.  Once  on  a  time  they 
were  in  the  habit  of  placing  their  dead  in  caves  or  hollows 
of  mountains,  and  as  a  matter  of  fact  there  is  to  be  seen  to- 
day a  large  sepulcher  in  a  ravine  at  Zomba  Mountain  where 
many  dead  persons  have  been  thrown  whose  whitened 
bones  can  be  seen.  There  are  numerous  legends  about  all 
the  mountains  of  the  Shire  Highlands  telling  about  the  great 
chiefs  who  have  been  buried  in  these  mountains  and  the  hills 
round  ab(jut.  Besides  this,  dense  forests  have  been  used  for 
the  burial  of  the  dead,  so  that  there  are  innumerable  stories 
of  haunted  forests  among  the  natives.  They  have  firm  be- 
lief in  ghosts,  and  will  believe  any  sort  of  a  ghost  story. 
They  tell  ghost  stories,  too,  by  the  hour,  giving  minutest 
details  in  the  most  graphic  and  horrifying  manner.  Many 
of  these  are  prosaic  stories,  concocted  in  the  light  of  day. 
One  woman  will  tell  the  other  that  while  winnowing  or 
pounding  the  corn  in  the  noontide  she  looked  out  in  the 
courtyard  and  saw  the  spirit  of  the  old  chief  looking  just  as 
he  did  before  he  died.  These  ghosts  are  considered  to  be 
powers  for  good  or  evil,  and  they  are  often  propitiated, 
though  if  they  become  troublesome,  that  is  to  say,  if  these  de- 
scendants fall  sick  or  meet  with  misfortunes,  the  bones  of 
the  dead  to  whose  spirit  the  annoyance  is  attributed  may  be 
dug  up  and  thrown  away,  or  removed  to  a  far  place  to  be 
buried  under  some  tree  which  is  supposed  to  have  a  restrain- 
ing influence  over  the  restless  spirit.  Ofttimes  one  of  these 
eccentric  ghosts  is  believed  to  haunt  some  rock  or  waterfall, 
but  I  have  failed  to  meet  with  a  parallel  to  the  Greek  myth- 
ological stories  of  the  souls  of  the  river,  the  tree,  the  caves  in 

the  mountain.      Dr.  Crt)ss.  however,  declares  that  a  belief  of 
li) 


290  The  Flaming  Torch 

this  kind  in  spirits  of  earth  and  water  is  held  by  the  Wan- 
konde,  who  are  a  somewhat  peculiar  people  who  have  been 
isolated  for  centuries  at  the  north  end  of  Lake  Nyassa.  In 
some  tribes  there  is  a  belief  in  an  evil  deity  as  the  rival  ruler 
of  the  universe  or  as  an  opposite  to  the  god  of  goodness. 
This  is  common  with  the  Yorubas,  the  Veys,  and  many 
other  tribes.  The  Wankonde  believe  that  Mbase,  the 
spirit  of  evil,  lives  in  a  wonderful  cave  in  the  mountain 
called  Ikombwe,  and  which  contains  an  abundance  of  beau- 
tiful stalagmites  and  stalactites.  As  Mbase  is  considered 
to  be  the  source  of  much  trouble  ne  is  venerated  and  pro- 
pitiated very  often.  Dr.  Cross  visited  this  cave  and  found 
it  nearly  full  of  old  broken  pots  and  rotten  cloth.  For  cen- 
turies the  pots  had  been  deposited  there  full  of  meal,  and 
the  cave  is  now  literally  blocked  up  with  them.  The  belief 
in  this  evil  spirit  received  a  salutary  shock  two  or  three 
years  ago  when  the  son  of  Chief  Mwankenju  set  Mbase  at 
defiance  and  robbed  the  cave  of  the  accumulated  offerings 
of  cloth,  brass  wire,  and  beads.  As  the  chief's  son  survived 
this  sacrilege  many  of  the  natives  lost  faith  in  the  spirit  of 
evil.  This  circumstance,  with  the  work  of  the  missionaries, 
will  soon  end  the  worship  of  Mbase  altogether. 

At  the  north  end  of  Lake  Nyassa  the  natives  constantly 
offer  sacrifices  to  the  spirits  of  the  dead.  Secret  places  for 
worship  are  known  as  amasieta  (singular,  ilisieta).  These 
are  generally  thick  clumps  of  forests  or  groves  of  trees,  in 
which  people  have  been  buried  for  generations.  Generally 
a  bullock  is  sacrificed,  being  killed  by  striking  it  in  the 
back  of  the  neck  with  a  sharp  ax  kept  for  the  purpose. 
The  blood  is  poured  over  the  ground  on  one  of  the  amasieta. 
The  head  of  the  ox  is  laid  on  the  ground  as  a  further  offer- 
ing, while  the  body  is  consumed  by  the  worshipers  and 
prayers  are  offered  to  the  spirits  of  the  dead. 

In  southern  Nyassaland  it  is  usual  to  draw  lots  or  to  ascer- 
tain whether  a  journey  will  be  favorable  by  sticking  a  knife 
in  the  grass  and  leaning  against  the  blade  two  small  sticks, 
or  else  by  laying  two  sticks  upon  the  ground  and  placing  a 


In  Darkest  Africa  293 

third  one  athwart  the  two.  The  person  making  the  experi- 
ment then  turns  aside  for  a  minute  or  two,  and  if  when  he 
looks  at  the  sticks  again  one  or  the  other  is  found  to  have 
fallen  to  the  ground  from  against  the  blade  of  the  knife,  or 
if  the  stick  laid  athwart  the  other  two  is  disturbed  in  its 
position,  the  omen  is  taken  to  be  a  bad  one. 

Among  the  more  superstitious  iV-n\-anja  muavi  or  other 
medicines  are  given  to  goats  or  fowls.  If  the  creature  thus 
doctored  dies  it  is  an  ill  omen  ;  if  the  reverse  it  is  a  good 
omen.  Formerly  this  medicine  or  poison  would  have  been 
given  to  a  slave.  This  extraordinary  test  is  constantly  used 
to  try  the  good  faith  of  strangers.  "Colonel  Edwards,  Mr. 
Sharpe,  and  myself  have  often  sat  anxiously  waiting  for  the 
result  of  some  such  ordeal  in  visiting  a  suspicious  tribe," 
says  Johnstone,  "  and  have  been  delighted  to  see  the  fowl 
eject  the  noxious  dose  from  its  crop,  or  the  goat  refuse  the 
bolus,  knowing  then  that  our  cause  was  gained." 

There  are  other  methods  of  testing  the  guilt  or  innocence 
of  suspected  persons  than  the  muavi  ordeal.  One  accused 
will  often  be  compelled  to  plunge  his  hand  into  boiling 
water,  and  if  he  draws  it  forth  unscalded  he  will  be  deemed 
innocent.  The  Waukunde  use  a  divining  stick,  which  is 
partly  bent  or  broken  below  the  part  grasped  by  the  hand, 
so  that  it  is  provided  with  a  sort  of  hinge  and  susceptible  of 
the  least  tremor.  When  a  person  is  accused  of  stealing  they 
commence  by  burning  certain  roots  in  a  fire.  The  rod  is 
then  shaken  over  the  fire  while  they  call  on  the  spirits  of 
the  departed  to  locate  the  thief  by  its  variable  motions. 
The  thief  catcher  then  starts  off  with  the  stick  in  hand  to 
find  the  thief  in  whichever  way  the  rod  happens  to  wriggle, 
and  at  last  he  pretends  to  have  been  led  to  a  certain  house, 
and  the  unfortunate  owner  is  taken  to  be  the  thief. 

There  is  a  man  in  the  Bundale  country,  at  the  north  end 
of  Lake  Nyassa,  who  is  believed  by  the  natives  to  have  the 
power  to  make  lions.  He  is  a  very  old  man  and  lives  in 
strict  seclusion,  and  is  said  to  have  several  lions  in  the  long 
grass  round    about   his   hut.      He   can   make   these  lions  do 


294  The  Flaming  Torch 

his  will,  so  the  story  goes,  and  for  a  price  will  make  them 
go  to  a  specified  neighborhood  and  harass  the  people.  "  I 
have  been  astonished,"  writes  Dr.  Cross,  "  to  see  how  tena- 
ciously even  the  most  intelligent  cling  to  this  belief.  They 
are  firmly  convinced  that  lions  do  not  roam  aimlessly,  but 
are  sent  to  a  neighborhood  with  a  definite  object  in  view." 

When  Johnstone  was  preparing  with  his  Sikhs  an  expe- 
dition against  a  notorious  slave-raiding  chief,  Matipwiri,  in 
South  Nyassaland,  anotner  Yao  chief,  Zarifi,  who  had  been 
appealed  to  for  assistance  b\'  Matipwiri,  sent  his  son  who  was 
reputed  to  be  a  wizard.  It  was  said  that  Zarifi's  son  could 
raise  up  all  the  lions,  hyenas,  and  leopards  in  Matipwiri's 
country  against  the  invading  force,  and  it  was  even  threat- 
ened that  these  animals  should  meet  the  enemy  as  they 
were  marching  through  the  wilderness  and  destroy  them. 
The  absurd  tiling  was  that  Matipwiri  and  his  brother  chief, 
Mtiramanja,  although  they  were  intelligent  men,  actually  be- 
lieved that  the  wizard,  Kadewere,  could  work  the  miracle 
he  had  threatened.  They  were  so  strongly  convinced,  in 
fact,  that  the  wild  animals  would  destroy  the  enemy  in  the 
forest  that  they  remained  in  their  villages  until  the  British 
troops  entered  the  suburbs  ;  and  even  then  on  the  first  day 
made  but  slight  resistance,  being  so  amazed  that  the  lions 
and  leopards  had  not  obeyed  the  orders  of  their  wizard 
master. 

There  is  a  belief  that  certain  persons  have  power  over  the 
atmosphere  so  that  they  can  make  rain  fall  or  wind  rise  or 
drop  at  will,  though  it  is  not  perhaps  such  a  prominent 
subject  of  consideration  as  in  Africa  south  of  the  Zambesi, 
where  the  farming  interests  of  the  country  make  the  fall 
of  a  shower  a  necessity.  There  was  an  old  man  reputed  to 
be  a  rain  maker  living  at  the  north  end  of  Lake  Nyassa.  His 
name  was  Mwaka  Sungula,  and  he  was  much  sought  after  on 
account  of  his  power  over  the  rain  and  wind,  and  by  a  few 
lucky  circumstances  his  fame  spread  far  and  wide.  It  so 
happened  that  the  African  Lakes  Company's  steamer, 
Doinira,  was  stranded   some  six    or   seven   years  ago  in  the 


In  Darkest  Africa 


295 


shallows  a  little  to  the  north  of  Karonga,  and  hundreds  of 
natives  were  hired  to  haul  the  steamer  off,  but  without  any 
result ;  she  still  remained  stuck  in  the  sand.  As  a  last 
chance  Mwaka  Sungula  was  appealed  to,  and  after  having 
received  a  present  he  visited  the  steamer  and  made  some 
incantations,  winding  up  the  day  b}' sprinkling  the  blood  of 
a  white  cock  on  the  natives  around  the  steamer.  Next 
morning  the  steamer  was  afloat,  the  wind  having  changed  in 
the  night  and  blown  up  the  water  of  the  lake  raising  the 
steamer  off  the  sand  bank.  Since  that  stroke  of  fortune 
Mwaka  Sungula  has  been  often  emplo}-ed  with  his  incanta- 
tions and  blood  sprinkling,  and  all  his  failures  are  forgiven 
and  forgotten  in  the  remembrance  of  how  the  spirits  raised 
the  steamer  from  the  sand  bank  at  his  request.  Among 
other  superstitions  in  northern  Nyassaland  a  woman  will 
never  tell  her  husband's  name  or  even  use  a  word  that  ma\' 
indicate  what  his  name  is.  If  she  were  to  call  him  by  his 
proper  name  it  would  be  considered  unlucky.  The  women 
also  do  not  use  the  general  names  of  articles  of  food  for 
superstitious  reasons,  but  instead  they  use  special  forms 
peculiar  to  them. 


A  Curious  Native  Salutation 


296 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

The  Legendary  Lore 

'HE  legendary  lore  of  a  people  often 
contains  much  of  their  history.  It  is 
handed  down  from  father  to  son  or 
mother  to  daughter,  generation  after 
generation.  It  may  contain  crude 
fragments  of  the  arts  and  sciences  and 
fanciful  details  of  the  ceremonies  of 
regal  pomp  and  splendor  or  an  ex- 
travagant record  of  superstitious  fan- 
tastic rites,  but  still  it  is  a  source 
from  which  the  history  of  the  dim  past 
of  a  people  may  be  gathered.  When  a  race  has  adv^anced 
to  a  higher  development  of  civilization  the  recorci  in  writing 
is  substituted  for  the  song  or  recited  story,  and  so  gradually 
the  traditions,  unwritten,  become  less  and  less  important,  un- 
til they  are  almost  forgotten,  and  the  searcher  after  the  his- 
tory of  a  nation's  first  glimpse  of  civilization  finds  them  only 
among  the  illiterate  people  in  the  rural  districts.  Songs 
sung  or  stories  told  by  the  fireside  in  the  dreary  winter 
nights  will  tell  of  battles  lost  and  won  or  glorious  individual 
deeds  of  prowess  or  weird  and  awful  visitations  of  God  or 
the  evil  one.  Or  it  may  be  that  the  glory  of  a  nation  long 
decayed  is  reflected  in  the  singsong  crooning  of  the  rustic 
entertainer.  If  these  are  carefully  gathered  together  and 
understood  we  may  connect  the  prehistoric  past  with  the 
history  of  yesterday  and  to-day.  If  we  would  learn  the 
truth  of  Africa's  past  we  must  not  be  above  entering  her 
mnd  huts  and  listening  to  the  talk  of  the  old  men  and  old 
women  and  catch  the  spirit  of  the  unlettered  legendary  lore. 
This  has  been  done  to  some  extent  by  Heli  Chatelain  and 
others  who   are  familiar  with   the  lansjuaszes   and  dialects  of 


In  Darkest  Africa  297 

Africa.  But  with  the  African  in  America  the  tongue  of  the 
new  country  in  which  his  lot  is  cast  has  been  substituted. 
Consequent!)'  much  valuable  folklore  has  undoubtedly  been 
lost,  and  the  breaking  up  of  families,  one  of  the  cruel  results 
of  slavery,  has  frustrated  the  transmission  of  traditions  from 
father  to  son  and  from  mother  to  daughter.  Notwithstand- 
ing these  misfortunes  the  Afro  American  collector  of  his 
people's  folklore  has  the  advantage  of  modern  culture  and 
enlightenment. 

The  legends  of  customs,  especially  in  connection  with 
birth,  marriage,  and  death,  are  different  from  those  of  the 
whites.  The  old  nurse  who  first  takes  the  little  baby  in  her 
arms  has  a  fund  of  old-fashioned  stories  to  start  the  child 
under  favorable  auspices  upon  the  voyage  of  life.  The  bride 
receives  many  warnings,  much  advice,  and  the  customs  which 
follow  death  and  burial  change  but  little  from  age  to  age. 
What  was  once  regarded  as  an  honor  to  the  dead  is  a  pro- 
pitiation for  the  dead  one's  soul,  and  must  not  be  omitted, 
lest  the  dead  seem  dishonored,  or  the  spirit — about  which 
so  little  is  known  after  all — wanders  forlorn  and  lonely  or 
works  harm  because  some  one  failed  to  do  what  was  needful. 
And  so  the  past  is  linked  with  the  present  in  the  Negro's 
life,  and  through  them  we  might  trace  the  beliefs  of  his 
people  for  generations. 

Rev.  Dr.  Crummell,  in  his  eulogy  of  Henry  Highland  Gar- 
nett,  says  of  that  great  man  :  "  He  was  born  in  slavery.  His 
father  before  him  was  born  in  the  same  condition.  His 
grandfather,  however,  was  born  a  freeman  in  Africa.  He 
was  a  Mandingo  chieftain  and  warrior,  and,  having  been 
taken  prisoner  in  a  tribal  fight,  was  sold  to  slave  traders  and 
then  brought  as  a  slave  to  America."  This  tradition  was 
preserved  for  three  generations  ;  therefore  there  may  be  oth- 
ers that  have  been  handed  down  from  father  to  son,  or  from 
mother  to  daughter,  through  centuries.  The  slavery  system 
doubtless  destroyed  all  hope  of  gathering  many  pedigrees  or 
legends,  since  it  dissevered  the  family  ties  :  but  if  such  tradi- 
tions  are  still  found   only   here  and  there    they  are   worth 


298  The  Flaming  Torch 

gathering  together  as  a  source  of  Ught  upon  the  origin  of 
American  Negroes, 

Behefs  of  the  Afiican  in  regard  to  the  moon  or  other  plan- 
ets or  stars,  superstitions  about  animals,  as  well  as  the  med- 
ical or  magical  properties  of  plants  or  stones,  are  of  great  in- 
terest, and  also  the  legends  about  ghosts,  witches,  hags,  and 
other  supernatural  influences.  One  story  tells  how  to  cork  up 
a  hag  in  a  bottle  so  that  she  cannot  disturb  your  slumbers,  or 
how  to  keep  her  at  work  all  night  threading  the  meshes  of  a 
sifter  hung  up  in  the  doorway  and  so  escape  her  influence  ; 
another  warns  you  how  to  avoid  the  evils  of  magic  in  any 
form,  or  how  to  escape  the  bad  luck  that  must  come  if  a 
crow  flies  over  the  house,  or  if  your  e}'e  twitches,  or  if  any- 
thing occurs  which  will  bring  bad  luck  if  the  evil  is  not 
averted  by  doing  so  and  so. 

I  have  gathered  together  a  few  specimens  of  folklore  from 
various  sources.  Some  of  these,  translated  word  for  word 
by  Heli  Chatelain,  I  have  endeavored  to  place  before  the 
reader  in  modern  English.  Others  I  have  allowed  to  remain 
unchanged.  These  are,  after  all,  but  a  few  specimens  of 
fables,  stories  illustrative  of  the  customs  of  the  various  tribes 
of  this  most  interesting  part  of  the  globe. 

The  first  settler  of  the  Veys  was  a  strong  and  great  man, 

who  came  with  no  companion  but  his  wife.      She  bore  him 

many  children,  sometimes  giving  birth  to 
TheFirst  ofthe      ^,  r  ^  ..  i     .    .1         .  ,. 

,,      „  .,  three  or  four  at  one  tnne  ;  but  the   strangest 

Vey  Tribe.  '  ^ 

part  was  that  the  children  were  full-grown 
men  and  women  when  they  came  into  the  world.  At  a 
little  over  one  year  of  age  the  females  would  bear  children, 
and  so  in  this  way  the  territory  soon  became  populated. 
Hera  was  the  name  of  this  first  ancestor,  and  he  was  very 
kind-hearted  and  loved  his  children,  and  taught  them  about 
the  gods  and  of  their  duties  to  these.  Hera  was  of  gigantic 
size  and  weight.  So  heavy,  indeed,  was  he  that  his  foot- 
prints are  yet  shown  imbedded  in  the  rocks,  which  yielded 
under  his  touch  like  so  much  clay.  He  was  so  strong  that 
he  could   shake  mountains  from  their  foundations.     And   it 


In  Darkest  Africa  299 

was  said  to  be  from  him  that  the  strong  men  of  Vey  received 
their  great  strength.  One  of  Hera's  sons  was  his  father's 
equal  in  strength  and  was  a  great  hunter  of  elephants, 
tiunl<ing  little  of  knocking  one  of  the  largest  in  the  forest 
down  with  a  single  blow.  Then  again  his  son  was  powerful 
and  famous,  and  so  on  for  two  or  three  generations. 

There  is  a  story  something  similar  to  tlie  Greek  fable  of 
Mercury.  It  is  about  a  king  who  could  fly  with  great  speed 
far  out    of  the   reach  of  the  weapons  of  the 

r  TT  iinir  i  r   ^   •         The  King  Who 

\oQ.      He   would    nv   bclore  the   army  ot   liis         >-,     , .  t-i 

-^  Could  Fly. 

own  tribe  and  find  the  hiding  place  of  the 
enemy,  who  dreacied  the  flying  king  as 'though  he  had  been 
a  demon.  He  fell  in  love  with  a  certain  beautiful  woman 
who  belonged  to  a  neighboring  tribe,  and  married  her.  She 
knew  nothing  of  his  strange  power  of  flight,  but  discovered 
him  one  day  in  the  act  of  flying  aw.i}',  his  arms  being  filled 
with  large  rocks  which  he  intended  dropping  one  by  one 
upon  the  heads  of  his  enemies,  who  w^ere,  unfortunately,  her 
own  people.  She  betrayed  him  to  her  people,  who  stole 
upon  him  while  he  was  sleeping  and  killed  him.  Then 
there  was  much  lamentation  and  mourning  and  weeping 
among  his  friends. 

A  long  time  ago  there  was  a  king  of  the  Vey  tribes  whose 
mother  had  been  a  lioness,  so  the  people  said;  he  was  very 

cruel   and    fiendish.      Day  by  day  he  would      ,  ,„.  ,     ,,,. 

r   ,  •  ,1  ,  ,  A  Wicked  King. 

have  hundreds  of  his  people  brought  up  be- 
fore him,  and  for  the  delight  and  pleasure  which  it  afforded 
him  would  have  them  beheaded  by  the  score.  Often  four 
hundred  of  them  would  die  in  this  \\'ay  in  one  short  day  ; 
the  whole  town  would  take  a  holiday  to  witness  this  dreadful 
spectacle.  He  would  have  days  upon  which  he  tortured, - 
seeming  to  enjoy  this  more  than  when  he  had  the  victims 
killed  outright.  He  would  have  the  eyes  gouged  out  of  the 
heads  of  some  ;  burned  out  of  the  heads  of  others  with  red- 
hot  irons  ;  others  w^ould  have  their  lips  bitten  off  b\^  some 
slave  as  bloodthirst)'  as  the  king  who  emplo\'ed  him,  or  per- 
haps his  nose  or  ears,  whichever  it  might  chance  to  be.      In- 


300 


The  Flaming  Torch 


stead  of  dogs  he  kept  lions  and  tigers,  and  quite  tame  they 
were;  they  would  lick  his  hand  and  fondle  about  him,  rec- 
ognizing in  him  one  of  their  kind.  When  these  animals 
grew  hungry  he  would  snatch  a  babe  from  the  arms  of  its 
mother  and  throw  it  to  them  for  a  repast,  or  a  young,  half- 
grown  boy  or  girl,  even  a  man  or  woman,  if  it  so  pleased  him. 
Under  his  reign  the  population  began  to  decrease,  as  you 
might  well  imagine  after  such  wholesale  butchery  of  the  peo- 
ple. One  day,  after  a  terrible  slaughter  and  torture  of  inno- 
cent people,  there  came  down  to  the  earth  a  huge  black  cloud  ; 
it  parted,  and  seated  on  a  throne  of  fire,  with  blue  flames 
licking  him  on  every  side,  yet  leaving  him  all  unharmed, 
was  the  biggest,  awfullest-looking  man  or  creature.  It  was 
hard  to  make  out  which  he  was  or  to  tell  where  the  man 
stopped  and  the  animal  began.  He  reached  out  his  long, 
hideous  arms,  and  a  darkness  came  over  all  the  land  as  he 
did  so.  He  took  the  wicked  king,  Hoodoo,  into  them  ;  and 
the  women  could  hear  his  bones  being  cracked  as  his  lions 
had  so  often  cracked  the  bones  of  their  children.  In  a 
voice  compared  to  which  the  loudest  thunder  is  but  a 
whisper  faint  and  low,  he  said,  "  Come,  you  wicked  one,  to 
Cayanpimbi."  Then  the  cloud  closed  and  lifted  from  the 
earth,  and  the  bad  king  was  never  seen  again. 


Punishment  of  a  Prisoner 


In  Darkest  Africa 


301 


The  Bird  Who 
Knew. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

Folk  Tales  of  Angola 

YOUNG  man  who  had  four  brothers 
saw  a  beautiful  girl  and  fell  in  love 
with  her  and  she  wnth 
hini,  and  he  married 
her.  After  the  hon- 
eymoon was  over  she  set  about  her 
household  duties  and  put  the  house 
in  order.  The  skins  of  the  lion  and 
leopard  she  spread  out  for  her  warrior  lord,  and  made 
beautiful  their  hut  with  assegais  and  trophies  of  the  battle 
and  hunt.  She  pounded  the  root  of  the  manioc  into  flour 
and  put  it  in  the  pot  on  the  fire,  and  cooked  the  delicious 
mush,  the  favorite  food  of  her  people.  She  gave  a  dishful 
to  her  husband,  and  took  out  another  dishful  for  each  of 
her  brothers-in-law.  They  said,  however,  "  If  we  eat  the 
mush  thou  must  tell  us  our  names."  But  she  replied,  "  I 
do  not  know  them."  "Then  take  away  the  dish,"  they 
said,  "  for  we  cannot  eat  the  mush  unless  thou  knowest 
our  names."  Then  she  returned  to  her  home  and  ate  her 
mush  with  her  husband,  and  they  retired  to  rest  for  the 
night. 

In  the  morning  she  again  cooked  the  flour  of  the  manioc 
for  breakfast,  and  again  ofl"cred  it  to  her  brothers-in-law,  tell- 
ing them  that  she  did  not  know  their  names.  Once  more 
they  said,  "  Then  take  it  away,  for  evil  would  fall  upon  us 
if  we  eat  the  food  and  thou  tellest  not  our  names;"  and  she 
returned  to  her  hut  sorrowfully  and  joined  her  husband  in 
their  morning  meal.  And  she  said  to  herself,  sadly,  "  My 
brothers  still  refuse  the  food  I  prepared  for  them,  because  I 
do  not  know  their  names,  and  I  cannot  ask."  And  soon  the 
sun  was   hiding   its    crimson   face   behind   the  hills,  for   the 


302  The  Flaming  Torch 

evening  had  arrived.  The  flour  was  all  gone,  and  the  pa- 
tient wife  took  the  manioc  and  said,  "  I  will  go  and  grind 
some  more  flour."  And  she  began  to  pound  the  rock,  when 
a  beautiful  bird  espied  her  from  the  branch  of  a  tree,  and, 
knowing  her  thoughts,  for  a  spirit  dwelt  in  the  bird,  it  sang 
these  words : 

"Thy  brothers-in-law  these, 

Thou  knowest  not  their  names  ? 

Listen,  I  will  tell  thee! 

Listen,  I  will  tell  thee  ! 

One  is  Tumba  Sikuntlu  ; 

Another  Tumba  Sikuntlu  Muna  ! 

Listen,  I  will  tell  thee  ! 

Listen,  I  will  tell  thee  I 

And  one  is  Tumba  K.uilu  ; 

And  the  other  Tumba  Kaulu  Muna  ! 

Listen,  I  have  told  thee  !  " 

The  young  woman  threw  the  pestle  on  the  ground,  and 
taking  a  stone  threw  it  at  the  bird,  and  it  stopped  singing 
and  flew  away.  She  knew  not  that  the  bird  spoke  to  her. 
By  and  by  she  had  finished  her  task,  and  then  she  carried 
the  flour  into  the  house.  Soon  the  flour  was  cooked  into 
the  appetizing  porridge,  and  then  she  filled  two  dishes  and 
took  them  to  her  brothers  as  before.  They  said  again, 
"Tell  us  our  names;"  and  all  she  could  answer  was,  "I 
know  them  not."  Then  once  moi"e  they  said,  "  Take  the 
food  away;"  and  she  returned  to  her  hut  with  the  dishes 
full. 

In  the  morning  she  again  went  to  the  mill  to  pound  the 
manioc  root,  and  took  up  the  pestle  and  began  to  pound  as 
before.  The  little  bird  again  espied  her  from  the  bough  of 
the  tree,  and  sang  his  sweetest  notes  as  he  said  again  : 

"  Thy  brothers-in-law  tliese, 

Thou  knowest  not  their  names? 

Listen,  I  will  tell  thee  ! 

Listen,  I  will  tell  thee  ! 

One  is  Tumba  Sikundu  ; 

Another  is  Tumba  Sikundu  Muna  ! 


In  Darkest  Africa  305 

Listen,  I  will  tell  thee ! 

Listen,  I  will  tell  thee  ! 

And  one  is  Tuinba  Kaulu  ; 

And  the  other  Tumba  Kaulu  Muna! 

Listen,  I  have  told  thee  ! 

Listen,  I  have  told  thee  !  " 

And  she  drove  the  bird  away.  But  when  she  returned 
she  reflected  upon  what  tlie  bird  was  saying  to  her.  "  Wliy, 
the  bird  was  telling  me  the  names  of  my  brothers-in-law." 
Soon  slie  had  pounded  all  the  flour,  and  her  task  was 
finished. 

She  returned  to  the  house  and  put  the  flour  into  the  pot, 
and  made  the  most  delicious  mush  that  the  wife  of  a  great 
warrior  and  hunter  of  her  tribe  had  ever  made.  She  took 
again  to  her  brothers-in-law  their  morning  meal,  and  again 
they  said,  "  If  we  shall  eat  the  mush  tell  us  our  names." 
The  woman  pointed  to  one  and  said,  "  This  is  Tumba 
Sikundu  ;  "  and  pointing  to  another  she  said,  "And  this  is 
Tumba  Kaulu  Muna."  Her  brothers  then  smiled,  and, 
seeing  that  she  knew  their  names,  received  the  food  and  ate 
it  heartily. 

A    young    man  who   was  on  a  journey  found  a  liuman 

skull  in  the  middle  of  the  road.     It  had  been  there  some 

time  and  people  had   passed   it  by,  but  he, 

when  he  saw  it,  struck  it  w^ith  his  staff  and         ^ 

'  bmartness. 

said,  "  Thou  fool,  thy  folly  was  thy  destruc- 
tion." Tiie  skull,  however,  had  a  spirit  within,  and  answered, 
"  Yes,  foolishness  did  kill  me,  but  soon  thy  smartness  will  be 
thy  death."  The  young  man  was  alarmed  and  said  to  him- 
self, "  I  will  not  go  on  my  journey,  for  the  head  of  a  man 
has  spoken  to  me,  and  that  is  an  omen  of  ill  luck." 

And  he  returned  home  and  told  the  old  men  of  the 
village  that  he  had  encountered  a  strange  and  mysterious 
omen.  The  old  men  asked  him,  "What  sort  of  an  omen^" 
"Why,"  answered  the  young  man.  "the  head  of  a  person 
has  spoken  to  me;"  and  then  the  men  said,  "  O,  thou  hast 

lied  to  us.     We  all  of  us  have  passed  by  the  skull  at  the 
20 


306  The  Flaming  Torch 

same  place,  yet  we  never  heard  it  speak.  How  comes  it 
that  the  head  has  spoken  to  thee  and  not  to  us?"  The 
young  man  was  indignant,  and  said,  "  Come,  let  us  go  and 
see  it,  and  if,  when  I  strike  it  with  my  staff,  it  does  not  speak 
to  me,  you  may  cut  off  my  head." 

And  the  men  started  off  together  to  the  place  where  the 
skull  lay.  The  young  man  hit  it  with  his  staff  and  said, 
"  Folly  has  destroyed  thee."  The  head,  however,  said  noth- 
ing. He  beat  it  a  second  time,  saying,  "  Folly  has  destroyed 
thee;"  but  still  the  head  was  silent.  Then  the  men  said, 
"Young  man,  thou  hast  told  us  a  lie,"  and  they  cut  off 
his  head.  When,  however,  they  had  done  so  the  skull  said, 
"Yes,  folly  killed  me,  and  tliy  smartness  has  killed  thee," 
and  the  people  said,  "  Why,  we  have  killed  him  unjustly,  for 
the  skull  has  spoken." 

The  young  man  found  the  skull  and  struck  it,  saying, 
"Folly  has  destroyed  thee;"  and  the  skull  said,  "Thy 
smartness  shall  kill  thee."  People  who  are  oversmart  are 
the  equals  of  fools.  The  young  man's  smartness  was  his 
ruin. 

King  Kitamba  kia  Xiba,  who  was  at  Kasanji,  built  a  great 

village  and  lived  in  peace  and  happiness  until  death  came 

and  took  away  his  beautiful  Queen  Muhongo, 
An  Affectionate         ,  ^  ■     r  •.         -r        '^ 

T,.  who  was  his  lavonte  wite. 

King. 

The  sorrow  of  M'banza  Kitamba  was  great, 
and  one  day  he  said  to  his  councilors  and  headmen:  "As 
my  beloved  wife  is  dead  I  shall  mourn,  and  everyone  in  the 
village  shall  mourn  with  me.  All  work  shall  cease,  and  the 
young  men  shall  not  make  a  noise,  and  the  women  shall  not 
grind  mbomba,  and  no  one  shall  even  speak  in  the  kraal." 
Then  the  chiefs  said  :  "  Master,  thy  wife  is  dead  truly,  as  thou 
sayest,  but  under  no  circumstances  did  a  king  ever  order 
that  none  should  eat  or  speak  or  work  in  the  village.  We 
never  saw  such  things."  Then  the  king  replied:  "  If  you 
desire  that  I  laugh  and  talk  in  the  village  and  permit  the 
people  to  rejoice  and  make  merry,  then  bring  me  back  my 
Queen  Muhongo,  my  best  beloved  wife."     And  the  head- 


In  Darkest  Africa  307 

men  said,  "  O,  our  kini;-,  she  is  dead,  and  we  cannot  bring 
her  to  thee;"  and  the  kiiii;  replied,  "Then  if  )-ou  cannot 
restore  her  to  nie  I  shall  mourn,  and  no  person  in  the  village 
shall  talk,  as  I  have  said." 

The  headmen  then  consulted  among  themselves,  saying, 
"  Let  us  seek  a  medicine  man."  They  sent  to  the  doctor  a 
gun  for  his  consulting  fee,  and  when  he  came  they  killed 
and  roasted  a  cow,  that  he  might  eat.  And  when  the  doctor 
was  ready  he  said  to  the  chiefs,  "Tell  me  why  you  sent  for 
me?"  and  they  replied,  "The  Queen  Muhongo  is  dead,  and 
the  king  has  declared  that  he  will  mourn  and  that  no  one  in 
the  village  shall  be  permitted  to  speak  unless  we  bring  him 
back  his  chief  wife,  Queen  Muhongo.  Therefore  we  sent  for 
thee,  doctor,  to  bring  back  the  queen,  that  the  people  may 
rejoice."  The  doctor  said,  "  All  right ;  "  and  then  he  went  in 
the  country  and  gathered  certain  herbs  and  placed  them  in 
a  mortar  for  pounding  and  made  a  liquid  therefrom  and 
said,  "  The  king  shall  come  to  wash,  and  all  the  people  shall 
wash."  The  king  washed,  and  the  chiefs  and  all  the  people 
one  by  one.  Then  the  doctor  said,  "  Dig  a  grave  in  my 
chamber  by  the  fireplace  ;  "  and  they  dug  the  grave  as  he 
ordered. 

And  he  went  into  the  grave  with  his  little  child  which  he 
had  brought  with  him.  And  he  said  to  his  wife,  "  Do  not 
wear  a  girdle  every  day,  but  tuck  it  in  only,  and  be  sure  and 
pour  water  on  the  fireplace  here  every  day."  The  woman 
consented,  and  then  the  doctor  ordered  the  men  to  fill  in  the 
grave.  And  they  filled  uj)  the  grave  containing  the  doctor 
and  his  child,  and  rammed  down  the;  earth  into  it  as  hard  as 
it  was  when  it  was  a  fireplace,  and  the  doctor's  wife  never 
omitted  to  pour  water  on  the  fireplace. 

The  doctor,  when  he  entered  the  grave,  found  an  opening 
into  a  road.  He  walked  along  the  road  with  his  child 
beside  him.  After  a  time  they  arrived  at  a  village,  that  is 
at  Kalunga-ngombe's.  The  doctor  looked  over  the  village 
and  said,  "Queen  Muhongo  is  yonder,  sewing  a  basket." 
He  approached  the  queen,  and  she,  seeing  a  man  coming 


308  The  Flaming  Torch 

toward  her,  said,  "Where  do  you  come  from?"  The 
doctor  answered  :  "  It  is  thee  whom  I  am  seeking.  Since 
thou  art  dead  King  Kitamba  will  not  eat  or  drink  or  speak, 
and  the  people  of  the  village  grind  no  more  corn,  neither  do 
they  eat  or  speak;  and  the  king  said,  '  If  I  shall  talk,  or  eat 
again,  you  must  go  and  bring  my  best  beloved,  my  queen.' 
That  is  what  brought  me  here,  Queen  Muhongo."  Then 
the  queen  said,  "  Very  well ;  look  at  him  who  is  sitting 
there."  And  the  doctor  replied,  "  I  do  not  know  him."  Then 
the  queen  said,  "  He  is  Lord  Kalunga-ngombe,  he  is  forever 
consuming  us,  every  one  of  us."  And  again  she  said,  "  Who 
is  that  }-onder  who  is  in  chains?"  The  doctor  looked  and 
answered,  "  He  looks  like  King  Kitamba,  who  I  left  in  the 
land  of  the  living,  whence  I  came."  The  queen  said:  "  He 
is  King  Kitamba.  He  will  not  be  much  longer  in  the 
world.  It  will  not  be  many  years  ere  the  chief  will  die. 
Thou  must  know,  doctor,  that  we  who  are  here  in  the  spirit 
world,  Kalunga,  having  died,  can  never  return  again  to 
the  land  of  the  living.  Take  my  arm-ring  which  I  wore 
when  they  buried  me,  and  when  thou  returnest  they  cannot 
accuse  thee  of  l}'ing,  and  say  thou  never  went  to  Kalunga, 
the  spirit  land.  And  above  all,  doctor,  do  not  tell  the  king 
that  thou  hast  found  him  already  in  Kalunga."  She  paused 
and  then  continued,  "  I  cannot  give  thee  aught  to  eat  here, 
doctor,  for  if  thou  didst  eat  here  thou  couldst  never  return 
again."  The  doctor  said,  "  Farewell,"  and  then  departed. 
He  returned  to  the  grave  he  had  entered  by  the  fire- 
place in  his  chamber,  and  by  and  by  the  faithful  woman 
who  had  daily  poured  water  on  the  earth,  as  he  instructed 
her,  saw  great  cracks  open  and  she  began  to  rejoice.  As 
she  gazed  the  head  of  the  doctor  came  forth,  and  then  his 
body,  and  he  stepped  into  the  room  with  the  child.  But 
the  child  could  not  bear  the  sunlight,  and  fainted.  The 
doctor  then  gathered  herbs  and  made  a  liquid  in  which  he 
washed  the  child,  and  it  revived.  Then  they  retired,  for  the 
doctor  was  weary.  In  the  morning  he  called  the  headmen 
of  the  town  and  said  to  them,  "You  headmen  of  the  town 


In  Darkest  Africa  309 

who  commanded  me,  come  here  that  I  may  report  where  I 
have  been  and  what  I  Sc;w."  The  chiefs  came,  and  he  told 
them  all  that  the  head  queen  had  said.  Then  the  doctor 
said,  "  I  have  finished,  and  you  can  now  pay  me."  And 
they  said,  "  It  is  well,"  and  paid  him  two  slaves.  Then  the 
doctor  returned  to  his  home.  The  headmen  went  to  their 
chief,  saying:  "The  doctor  reported,  'I  went  to  Kalunga- 
ngombe's  and  found  the  king's  wife,  and  told  her  that  the 
chief  did  not  eat  or  drink  since  she  died  and  desired  her  to 
return,  but  she  replied  that  none  who  go  to  Kalunga  can 
ever  return.  Take  my  arm-ring,  that  they  accuse  thee  not 
of  lying  when  thou  sayest  thou  hast  been  here.'  That  is 
what  the  doctor  said,  and  here  is  the  ring  which  the  queen 
wore  when  she  was  buried."  The  king  said :  "  He  has 
spoken  the  truth.  It  is  the  same  ring."  After  a  few  days 
the  king  began  to  eat  and  drink  and  gave  the  people  per- 
mission to  do  likewise,  and  everything  went  on  prosperously 
for  a  few  years.  Then  the  king  died,  and  his  people  mourned 
him  deeply.  Then  they  divided  and  became  scattered  over 
the  land. 

A  white  man  and  a  Negro  had  a  discussion.  The  white 
man  said  :     "  There    is    nothing   lacking    in    my  house.     I 

have  everything  I  need.' '    The  Negro  replietl : 
u -ri     i.  •  ^      .1      r       -r  T  1       1  %  i  •  ^  Discussion, 

1  hat  IS  an  untruth,  for  if  1  look  for  a  thmg 

in  your  house   I  shall  not  find  it."     Then  the  white  man 

answered,  "  O,  )'ou  Negroes  lack  everything,  whereas  I  have 

to  look  for  nothing." 

The  Negro  was  silent,  but  went  home  and  remained  there 
a  month.  He  undertook  to  weave  a  mat,  and  when  he  had 
completed  all  but  the  center  the  cords  gave  out,  and  there 
was  no  place  near  by  where  he  could  get  the  cords  necessary. 
He  said  to  himself:  "  I  know  what  I  will  do  ;  I  will  go  to 
the  house  of  the  white  man  and  ask  him  for  some  cords,  that 
I  may  finish  my  mat." 

Having  arrived  at  the  white  man's  house  he  said,  "  Sir, 
I  am  in  need  of  something."  The  white  man  asked  him 
what  he  needed,  and  the   Negro  replied,    "  I  was  weaving  a 


310  The  Flaming  Torch 

mat  and  I  was  short  of  cord,  and  I  said  I  will  go  to  the 
white  man  and  ask  him  for  a  few  cords  so  that  I  can  com- 
plete the  mat." 

The  white  man  looked  at  him  and  laughed.  Then  he  went 
into  his  store  and  looked  over  it,  but  could  find  no  cords. 
"  Negro,"  said  he,  "  thou  art  lucky."  Then  he  took  a  hun- 
dred macutas  and  gave  them  to  the  Negro. 

The  Negro  thus  beat  the  white  man  in  his  argument. 

An  old  man  had  a  daughter  whose  name  was  Nga  Samba. 

She  was  a  beautiful  girl  and  had    a    number   of  suitors,  but 

her  father  was  in  no  hurry  for  her  to  marry. 
The  Choice  of      y-,      ,  ,  i  ^  i  •      i         i  ^  i     j 

Tj     ,      J         i^ach  man  who  sought  his  dauszhter  was  asked 
a  Husband.  •=>  ° 

for  a  living  deer.  They  all  gave  the  same 
answer:  "We  cannot  get  a  living  deer." 

One  day  two  young  men  came  to  see  the  old  man  who 
had  this  beautiful  daughter,  Nga  Samba.  The  old  man 
greeted  them  and  asked  them  what  they  desired,  and  one  of 
them  replied:  "  I  have  come  to  ask  thee  for  thy  daughter; 
I  love  her  and  desire  her  for  my  wife."  Then  he  asked  the 
other  what  brought  him  there,  and  he  said  :  "  I  have  also 
come  to  ask  for  thy  daughter.  I,  too,  love  her  and  want 
her  for  my  wife." 

Then  the  father  said  :  "  I  have  only  one  daughter,  and 
you  cannot  both  have  her.  The  one  who  brings  me  a  living 
deer  first  shall  have  her  for  his  wife."     Then  they  departed. 

As  they  were  walking  along  one  said  to  the  other,  "  I 
shall  try  to  catch  a  living  deer  to-morrow  in  the  forest." 
Then  the  other  said  :  "  I,  too,  will  seek  a  living  deer  to- 
morrow. Where  shall  we  meet?"  The  other  replied: 
"  Let  us  meet  at  the  mimosa  tree  outside  the  forest  to-mor- 
row at  sunrise."  And  then  they  both  went  home  and 
slept. 

At  the  dawn  they  each  arose  and  dressed  and  took  their 
machetes  and  met  by  the  mimosa  tree.  Then  they  started 
off  into  the  forest  to  find  the  deer. 

They  espied  a  fine  deer  and  began  to  pursue  it.  They  ran 
and   ran,  but  could  not  catch  up  to  the  fleet-footed  animal. 


Type  of  Upper  Congo  Native 


In  Darkest  Africa  313 

One  of  them  became  weary  and  sat  down  on  the  ground, 
for  he  could  not  run  any  farther.  As  he  did  so  he  said  :  "  If  I 
run  farther  I  shall  die.  Why  should  I  suffer  further  because 
of  a  woman  ?  If  I  had  her  and  she  died,  I  should  seek  an- 
other. I  shall  run  no  farther  to  catch  a  living  deer.  It  is 
the  first  time  I  ever  knew  a  girl  to  be  wooed  with  a  living 
deer.  I  will,  however,  see  whether  my  companion  gives  up 
the  chase.      It  is  better  that  we  return  together." 

After  a  time  he  saw  the  other  approaching  him  with  a 
deer  whose  legs  were  bound.  When  he  came  up  close  to 
him  he  said,  "  Friend,  didst  thou  indeed  catch  the  deer?" 
And  the  other  said  :  "  Yes,  I  caught  it.  I  would  rather 
have  died  in  the  forest  than  have  failed  to  catch  it,  for  I 
love  the  girl  very  much." 

And  they  went  to  the  old  man  and  gave  him  the  deer.  But 
he  said,  "  Keep  the  deer  and  eat  of  it,  and  by  and  by  we 
will  talk  matters  over."  Then  he  ordered  his  servants  to 
cook  the  food  for  them. 

After  they  had  finished  eating,  the  old  man  who  had  the 
beautiful  daughter  called  four  other  old  men  together  and 
said  to  them  :  "  I  have  one  daughter,  and  I  want  a  good 
son-in-law,  one  who  has  a  kind  heart  ;  therefore  I  demanded 
a  living  deer.  These  young  men  came  yesterday  and  asked 
for  my  daughter,  and  I  told  them  that  as  I  had  only  one 
daughter  he  who  first  brought  a  living  deer  should  possess 
her.  To-day  these  two  have  brought  a  living  deer.  The 
two  came  to  ask  for  the  girl,  but  only  one  has  brought  a 
deer.  I  want  to  know  why  the  other  did  not  bring  a  deer 
too.  You,  my  neighbors,  I  leave  it  to  you  to  choose  my 
son-in-law  from  these  two  young  men." 

Then  the  old  men  asked  the  suitors  why  one  of  them  had 
not  brought  a  living  deer  when  it  was  said  that  he  desired 
the  girl  also. 

And  the  young  men  replied:  "We  both  went  in  the 
forest  to  hunt  deer,  and  we  saw  them.  My  companion  gave 
chase  to  one  and  grew  tired  and  gave  up  the  hunt.  But  I, 
being  very  much   charmctl    by  the  maid,  pursued   the  deer 


314  The  Flaming  Torch 

until  he  gave  in.  Then  I  caught  hold  of  him  and  bound 
him  and  brought  him  here.  My  companion  came  only  to 
keep  me  company." 

Then  the  old  men  said :  "  Thou  gavest  up  the  hunt ; 
what  caused  thee  to  give  up  if  thou  didst  desire  our 
daughter  ?  " 

"  I  never  knew  a  girl  wooed  with  a  deer  before,"  he  an- 
swered. "  1  went  with  my  friend  to  seek  a  deer,  thinking 
perhaps  I  might  catch  it,  but  when  I  saw  his  terrible  speed 
I  said,  '  No  ;  it  is  too  much,  it  might  cost  me  my  life  ; '  so  I 
sat  down  to  await  my  companion  and  see  whether  he  would 
continue  the  chase  or  give  it  up,  so  that  we  might  return 
together.  Then  I  saw  him  returning  with  the  deer,  and  1 
accompanied  him.  I  have  not  come  this  time  for  your 
daughter." 

Then  the  men  said  :  "  Thou  who  gavest  up  chasing  the 
deer  art  our  son-in-law.  This  man  who  caught  the  deer,  he 
may  eat  it  or  sell  it.  He  is  a  man  of  strong  heart.  If  he 
wants  to  kill  he  kills  at  once  ;  he  would  not  listen  to  one 
who  scolds  or  gives  advice.  If  we  gave  the  girl  to  him,  and 
she  offended  him,  he  would  beat  her  and  would  not  listen 
to  the  entreaties  of  her  friends.  We  do  not  want  him. 
This  one  who  gave  up  the  deer,  he  is  our  choice,  because 
when  the  girl  does  wrong  he  will  not  beat  her,  but  will 
listen  to  us  and  be  pacified.  Even  though  his  anger  be 
great,  when  he  sees  us,  he  will  become  calm.  He  will  be  a 
good  son-in-law." 

The  Boar  formerly  lived  with    his  kinsman,  Mr.  Hog,  in 

the  forest.     One   day  the    Hog   said    to   his  friend,   "  I  am 

going  to  live  in  the  village  with  the  men." 

TheHouseHog     .  q^  ^^^^^  g^  ^^  ^j^^  village,"  the  Boar  said  ; 

and  the  Wild      ,,  ,  •       i    »•      -r-i       tt  j    4. 

"  men  hate  annnals.       The  Hog  was  deter- 
mined, however,  and   replied:   "I  will  go  to 

the  village  and  eat  the  food  which  men  eat.      I   am  tired  of 

the  bitter  plants  of  the  bush." 

And  the  Hog  started  off  to  the  village,  and  when  he  had 

arrived  the  men  built  him  a  house  which  they  called   a  sty, 


Boar. 


In  Darkest  Africa  315 

and  he  proiidl}'  entered  it  and  reniained  ;  but  after  a  time 
the  Hog  had  raised  a  faniil\',  and  then  the  men  took  him  to 
kill  him. 

And  as  they  were  killing  him  he  squealed,  sa}'ing,  "  O, 
miserable  Hog  that  I  am  ;  the  Boar  told  me  not  to  go  to 
the  village  because  the  men  hate  us  ;  now  I  am  punished 
because  I  would  not  listen  to  good  advice."  And  as  the  Hog 
was  breathing  his  last  he  whispered,  "I  die,  I  die;  I,  the 
Hog,  I  die  !  " 

Once  upon  a  time  people  had  no  hogs  to  eat,  and  the 
reason  that  hogs  were  brought  to  the  habitations  of  men 
was  because  the  food  which  the  people  eat  is  good  and 
tempting.  Thus  doth  appetite  become  a  snare  to  him  who 
is  ruled  thereby. 

Two  men  who  were  traveling  along  a  road   met   a  tapper 

of  palm    wine   and   said   to  him,  "  Give  us  a  drink  of  palm 

wine."     One  came  forward  and  said,   "  I  am 

Whence  We  Come;"  and  the  other  standing        ^u    t?  i. 

'^         the  Future. 

behind,  said,  "  I  am  Where  We  Go."  Then 
the  tapper  said  :  "  Thou,  '  Whence  We  Come,'  hast  a  beauti- 
ful name,  but  thou,  '  Where  We  Go,'  speakest  evil.  I  will 
not  give  thee  palm  wine."  Then  they  quarreled,  and  to  end 
the  quarrel  sought  a  friend  to  decide  who  was  right  or  who 
was  wrong.  The  judge  says,  "  '  Where  We  Go '  is  right,  the 
tapper  is  wrong,  because  from  where  we  have  already  left 
we  cannot  get  anything  more.  What  we  desire  to  find  is, 
whither  are  we  going! 

Two   men  were   known    b}'  one  name.     One  said,  "  I  am 

Ndala,  a  careful  builder."    The  other  said,  "  I 

..Til  -J   u    -1  1       '>  "^"^o    Builders, 

am  JNdala,  a  rapid  builder. 

They  said,  "Let  us  go  and  trade."  They  started  off  and 
arrived  halfway  on  their  journc}',  when  a  storm  came  on. 
"  Let  us  build  grass  huts,"  said  they. 

Ndala,  the  ra]iid  builder,  soon  built  a  hut  and  sheltered 
himself  in  it.  Ndala,  the  careful  builder,  was  exercising  his 
sk-ill  on  the  finish  of  his  hut,  when  the  terrible  storm  came 
and  killed  him  outside,  because  his  hut  was  not  ready  to  shel- 


316  The  Flaming  Torch 

ter  him.     Ndala,  the  rapid  builder,  escaped,  because  his  hut 

was  finished,  and  it  sheltered  him  when  the  storm  came  on. 
A  woman  was  walking  along  with  her  two  daughters  who 

were  of  marriageable  age,  when  they  came  across  a   skull. 
The  mother  was  alarmed  when  she  recognized 

The    God    and     jj.  ^^  ^j^^  j^^^^^  ^^  ^  ^^^.^^^^  ^^1^^  desired  to  marry 
the    Mother-  r     ,  •  ,  ,  t-,  i  , 

in-Law  *-*^''^   °'    the  gn'ls — the   younger.       ihe   elder 

girl  took  up  the  skull  and  filled  it  with  ashes. 

and   then   threw  it   into  the  river.     "'  How   can    that   man 

marry  my  sister.'*  "  said  she.     Under  the  water  the  skull  was 


A  Forest  Habitation 


transformed  into  Kianda,  a  demigod.  In  the  morning  he 
came  as  a  well-formed  m.an  to  the  mother  and  said  :  "  I 
want  to  marry  thy  daughter,"  and  the  mother  gave  her  con- 
sent, and  then  Kianda  carried  away  the  girl  and  took 
her  with  him  to  dwell  under  the  waters  of  the  lagoon. 
When  she  had  arrived  at  the  place  where  he  made  his  home 
he  dressed  her  in  golden  cords  and  strings  of  pearls,  and  her 
neck  and  arms  were  ornamented  with  other  beautiful  gems. 
When  he  had  thus  arrayed  her  he  took  her  to  the  home  of 
her  mother.  To  the  mother  he  gave  a  barrel  of  wine  and 
a  bale  of  cloth.     Then  the  woman  went  to  see  a  chief  who 


In  Darkest  Africa  317 

was  her  husband,  and  left  Kianda  and  his  bride  together  in 
her  home.     And  there  they  remained  for  some  time. 

Kianda  took  his  magic  stick,  the  kalabunga,  and  tapped  it 
on  the  ground,  and  there  appeared  in  a  moment  a  great 
body  of  slaves  and  houses  for  them  to  dwell  in.  By  and 
by  the  young  wife  gave  birth  to  a  child,  which  died.  Then 
Kianda  said,  "  Our  child  is  dead,  and  we  must  bury  it,  but 
I  do  not  wish  thy  mother  to  come  to  the  funeral."  But  the 
mother  came  to  the  funeral  and  found  Kianda  dancing.  As 
he  turned  he  saw  his  mother-in-law  before  him.  Then  he 
was  angry  and  immediately  returned  to  his  house  and  said 
to  his  wife,  "  Did  I  not  tell  thee  that  I  did  not  wish  thy 
mother  to  come  to  the  funeral  of  our  dead  child?"  As 
soon  as  he  had  finished  speaking  he  took  his  kalabunga 
again  and  tapped  it  on  the  ground  and  muttered  some 
magic  words.  Then  the  houses  and  the  slaves  all  disap- 
peared in  a  trice,  and  sprouts  of  grass  only  were  left  in  place 
of  a  pretty  village.  When  he  had  done  he  wandered  away, 
but  the  woman  followed  him  wherever  he  went  and  sang  to 
him  as  she  walked  along, 

"  O,  liusband  mine,  my  love, 
O,  husband  mine,  my  love," 

and  she  heard  voices  from  heaven  singing,  "  Hasten,  hasten, 
for  soon  the  rivers  will  be  dry  and  the  rains  will  cease." 

At  last  they  came  to  a  great  rock,  and  the  woman  was 
amazed  to  see  that  the  rock  opened  in  the  center  at  Kian- 
da's  ai)proach  ;  and  when  he  saw  the  cleft  he  entered  in, 
and  the  rock  became  as  before.  Long  the  young  wife 
waited  for  her  lord,  but  he  returned  not,  and  she  never  saw 
him  again.     Then  she  went  to  the  home  of  her  mother. 

No  sooner  had  she  arrived  at  her  mother's  house  than 
she  fell  sick  and  died.  Then  her  mother  died  also,  and  all 
the  others  died  but  one  person,  a  female,  and  she  remained 
in  the  house. 

There  came  to  the  house  a  Di-kishi,  a  two-headed  being, 
who  is  a  demigod,  and   took  the  woman  away  to  his  house. 


318  The  Flaming  Torch 

and  she  became  his  wife,  and  soon  after  gave  birth  to  a 
child  with  one  head.  And  he  said  to  the  woman,  "  If  thou 
hast  another  child  with  one  head  I  shall  call  my  people  to- 
gether, and  they  will  eat  thee." 

Time  passed  and  another  child  was  born,  but  it  had  two 
heads.  Then  the  woman  became  alarmed,  took  her  child  of 
one  head  and  ran  away  and  hid  in  a  house  which  was  empty. 
But,  alas !  there  passed  that  way  a  Di-kishi,  who  scented  a 
human  being,  and  he  entered,  and  finding  her  asleep  with 
her  one-headed  child  he  ate  her  and  the  child  also. 

The  Hare  plaited  his  long  wicker  basket,  saying,  "  I  will 
go  to  bind  squashes  in  the  field."     On  his  way  to  the  field 

.      „  he  meets  a  Leopard  in  the  path,  who  greets 

The  Hare    and      ,  .  .  ,,  „  ,  ^    .     ,       ,    '^ 

the  Leopard.  ^^"^'  s^X^^g'  Hare,  thou  art  mdeed  coura- 
geous ;  where  art  thou  going  with  so  large  a 
basket?"  Hare  replied,  "My  lord,  I  am  going  to  bind  a 
few  squashes  in  the  field."  Leopard  said,  "  Thou  indeed, 
coy  little  friend ;  the  basket  is  bigger  than  thou,  and  if  it  be 
filled  with  squashes  how  wilt  thou  carry  it  ?  "  "  Ho,  ho," 
responded  the  Hare  ;  "  my  lord,  if  it  were  thou  thyself  in 
the  basket  I  would  be  able  to  carry  thee  ! " 

"  Thou  art  indeed  a  presumptuous  Hare,"  the  Leopard  re- 
plied ;  "  and  if  thou  fail  to  carry  me  what  may  I  do  to  thee  ?  " 

"  My  lord,  thou  mayest  eat  me."  The  Leopard  gets  into 
the  basket. 

"My  lord,  stretch  thyself  out  well,"  cries  the  Hare,  "  and 
when  I  fasten  the  ropes  to  the  basket  do  not  shriek  lest 
thou  fall  to  the  ground." 

"  All  right,"  called  the  voice  from  the  basket.  Having 
securely  lashed  the  basket,  the  Hare  took  his  hatchet  from 
his  belt,  and  with  it  knocked  Mr.  Leopard  on  the  head. 

"  O,  O,"  called  the  Leopard  ;  "  thou  dost  shamefully  treat 
me,  thou  Hare  !  " 

"  Thou  dost  hate  us,"  cried  the  Hare,  as  he  dealt  him  a 
deathblow  with  his  hatchet. 

Better  it  is  to  meet  thine  enemy  in  the  open  field  than  to 
trust  thyself  in  the  hands  of  him  whom  thou  hast  wronged. 


.^=^^S 


^^ 


Mammoth  Palms  of  Madagascar 


Zbc  llDeatbeiVs  IRcbcmption 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

To  a  Sure  Foundation 

FRICA  must  be  redeemed.  It  is  a 
contract  high  above  human  possibili- 
ties. But  the  power  of  God  can  do  it, 
and  for  his  success  he  requires  the 
cooperation  of  holy  men  and  women 
as  "  workers  together  with  him." 

The  obstructions  to  the  unknown 
interior  of  this  continent  have  been 
the  bane  of  the  nations  through  all 
ages  of  the  Christian  era.  To  this  day 
there  are  few  paths  open,  but  by  these 
few  it  is  possible  to  get  in,  and  when  in  to  go  where  we 
like.  Here  we  behold  millions  of  human  beings  for  whom 
Christ  died  groping  in  the  densest  darkness  of  heathenism, 
and  suffering  its  unmitigated  woes.  They  are  the  victims 
of  merciless  slave  hunters,  who  in  the  dark  nights  set  their 
towns  on  fire,  kill  the  men  who  dare  to  stand  for  the  defense 
of  their  families  and  the  little  children  who  cannot  keep 
step  with  the  march  of  their  caravans,  and  they  seize  and 
bind  the  women  and  the  children  who  can  travel,  and  lead 
both  away,  nude  and  starving,  hundreds  of  miles,  doomed  to 
perpetual  slavery. 

The  whole  race  of  African  heathen  are  victims  of  witch- 
craft cruelties,  often  decimating  large  communities  of  the 
people.  They  are  also  victims  of  the  evils  growing  out  of 
their  ancient  institution  of  polygamy.  Nearly  every  girl 
born  is  bought  by  some  polygamist  before  she  is  five  years 
21  321 


322  The  Flaming  Torch 

old  ;  indeed,  they  are  often  bought  before  their  birth,  with 
the  risks  involved.  It  is  impossible  to  get  girls  to  educate 
in  our  schools  to  pair  with  our  boys — the  men  we  are  edu- 
cating— except  by  competing  with  the  polygamists  in  the 
market  and  paying  the  price  they  pay  or  more,  and  have 
the  transaction  confirmed  by  the  law  under  which  they  hold 
them  in  polygamous  slavery  for  life.  We  simply  redeem 
them  and  prepare  them  to  join  us  in  working  for  the  rescue 
of  the  race. 

The  poor  heathen,  too,  are  the  victims  of  oppressive  laws, 
with  their  dreadful  penalties,  which  neither  they  nor  their 
fathers  were  ever  able  to  bear.  To  all  these  we  have  to 
add  the  torturing  terrors  of  their  heathenish  superstitions. 
All  these  woes  are  intensified  by  the  inflow  from  Christian 
countries  of  a  Mississippi  of  rum,  engulfing  and  drowning 
millions  of  them  in  perdition. 

Thus  we  see  something  of  the  work  to  be  done,  the  ob- 
structions to  be  overcome,  and  from  this  standpoint  devise 
the  means  best  adapted  to  the  accomplishment  of  our  great 
undertaking,  combining  human  agency  and  divine  efficiency. 
To  effect  this  the  first  thing  is  to  gain  access  to  those  per- 
ishing millions,  access  to  their  country,  to  their  homes,  and 
then  to  their  heads  and  hearts.  This  personal  contact  of 
the  few  abroad  implies  the  cooperation  of  the  Lord's  hosts 
at  home,  supplying  the  means  of  transport,  and  by  their 
prayers  giving  moral  momentum  to  the  whole  movement. 
After  all  this,  to  get  access  to  their  heads  and  hearts,  we 
must  by  the  mastery  of  a  few  of  the  "  two  hundred  lan- 
guages "  spoken  in  Africa  get  the  key  to  their  understand- 
ing. The  salvation  of  the  heathen  is  the  end  at  which  all 
Christian  missions  aim,  but  preparatory  to  this  end  thou- 
sands of  the  most  faithful  missionaries  of  all  the  societies 
have  spent  most  of  their  years  in  school  work  and  in  trans- 
lations, teaching  and  being  taught.  Every  foreign  field, 
however,  has  its  own  peculiar  advantages  and  disadvantages 
in  regard  to  the  access  of  the  workers  to  the  people,  effi- 
ciency in  their  work,  and  their  means  of  support.     Hence 


In  Darkest  Africa  323 

every  field  should  be  studied  from  its  own  standpoint,  so 
that  the  workers  may  proceed  by  methods  best  adapted  to 
the  peculiarities  of  each  field. 

To  evangelize  the  nations  of  Africa  is  an  undertaking  too 
great  for  any  one  man  or  generation  of  men,  but  the  present 
generation  of  God's  workers  should  be  very  careful  to  intro- 
duce and  employ  the  methods  which,  under  God,  will  be  a 
guarantee  for  the  final  accomplishment  of  the  whole  work. 

The  native  people  of  Africa  are,  in  available  resources, 
about  the  richest  people  in  the  world.  Their  debasing 
heathenism  keeps  them  down  on  a  dead  level  of  hand-to- 
mouth  subsistence.  What  they  need  is  leadership  to  teach 
them  to  appreciate,  develop,  and  utilize  the  indigenous 
resources  of  their  own  country  for  all  the  purposes  of 
Christian  civilization  ;  hence,  any  plan  of  missionary  work 
for  Africa  that  does  not  teach,  both  in  theory  and  in  prac- 
tice, the  industries  essential  to  that  end  is  too  narrow  to 
meet  the  demands  of  the  case.  Brain  culture  and  religious 
teaching  are  essential  to  the  elevation  of  barbarous  heathen 
to  the  plane  of  Christian  civilization  ;  but  without  hand 
culture  it  will  be  an  arid  plain  on  which  they  must  starve  or 
beg  for  subsistence. 

To  secure  the  best  results  of  missionary  labor  in  Africa 
we  must  provide  for  the  education  of  head,  heart,  and  hand 
simultaneously,  and  the  shortest  and  surest  way  to  success 
is  to  begin  with  the  little  children.  "  By  the  disobedience 
of  one  judgment  came  upon  all  men  " — the  human  race — 
"to  condemnation;  even  so  by  the  righteousness  of  one 
the  free  gift  came  upon  all  men  " — the  human  race — "  unto 
justification  of  life."  Every  child  born,  from  Cain  down  to 
the  present  moment,  inherited  from  the  first  Adam  a  fallen, 
sin-contaminated  nature,  and  the  death  penalty  upon  the 
body,  with  all  the  disabilities  belonging  to  it ;  but  every 
such  child  inherits,  through  the  redemptive  provision  of  the 
second  Adam,  the  free  gift  of  eternal  life  under  a  justified 
relation  to  God.  When  does  this  statement,  "  that  the  free 
gift  came   upon   all  men   to  the  justification  of  life,"  truth- 


324 


The  Flaming  Torch 


fully  apply  to  all  men  ?  Certainly  not  after  they  cominit 
willful  sin,  and  hence  come  under  condemnation,  which  is 
the  opposite  of  justification.  It  can  only  apply  truthfully 
to  the  infantile  period  of  human  existence,  from  the  birth 
to  forfeiture  by  willful  rebellion  against  God.  They  show, 
meantime,  the  sinfulness   of  their  nature;  but  "sin    is   not 


A  Native  Salutation 


imputed  where  there  is  no  law."  "  That  which  may  be 
known  of  God  is  manifest  in  thein  ;  for  God  hath  showed 
it  unto  them.  For  the  invisible  things  of  him,  from  the 
creation  of  the  world,  are  clearly  seen,  being  understood  by 
the  things  which  are  made,  even  his  eternal  power  and 
Godhead." 

This  is  God's  infant   object-lesson   school,  through  which 


In  Darkest  Africa  325 

he  manifests  himself  "  in  "  the  little  children  of  "  all 
men."  This  is  the  school  of  which  the  royal  psalmist  sang 
a  thousand  years  before  Saul  of  Tarsus  was  born  :  "  The 
heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God  ;  the  firmament  showeth 
his  handiwork.  Day  unto  day  uttereth  speech" — God's 
day  school,  seven  days  of  each  week.  "  Night  unto  night 
showeth  knowledge  " — God's  night  school,  seven  nights  of 
each  week ;  God's  universal  public  school,  for  "  there  is 
no  speech  nor  language,  where  their  voice  is  not  heard. 
Their  line  is  gone  out  through  all  the  earth,  and  their  words 
to  the  end  of  the  world."  "  From  the  creation  of  the 
world  "  this  school  has  not  had  a  vacation  of  two  hours. 
God  has  a  high  school,  under  the  provisions  of  a  written 
and  proclaimed  Gospel,  with  its  institutions,  designed  to  be 
made  known  by  God's  witnesses  and  workers  to  "the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  earth,"  and  "  to  every  creature." 

With  such  magnificent  provision  for  the  education  and 
salvation  of  the  human  race  why  such  estrangement  of  the 
human  family  from  the  eternal  Father? 

Paul's  answer  is  this  :  "  When  they  knew  God  " — they 
did  know  him,  the  whole  race,  one  by  one,  during  the  period 
of  their  infantile  "justification  of  life" — "  when  they  knew 
God,  they  glorified  him  not  as  God  ;  neither  were  they 
thankful."  To  submit  wholly  to  the  will  of  God,  and  to 
repose  confidence  and  trust  in  him,  w\as  just  the  thing  they 
could  have  done,  and  thus  "  glorify  him  as  God,"  and  abide 
in  his  household  forever,  and  never  fall  victims  to  sin  nor  to 
the  bondage  of  Satan. 

Failing  to  abide  with  God  the  inevitable  result  is  thus 
described  by  Paul  :  "  When  they  knew  God,  they  glorified 
him  not  as  God  ;  but  became  vain  in  their  imaginations,  and 
their  foolish  heart  was  darkened.  Professing  themselves  to 
be  wise,  they  became  fools,  and  changed  the  glory  of  the 
uncorruptible  God  into  an  image  made  like  to  corruptible 
man,  and  to  birds,  and  four-footed  beasts,  and  creeping 
things" — God  renounced,  and  some  idol  enthroned  in  the 
heart   of  the   poor   apostate   instead.      Every  sinner  in   the 


326  The  Flaming  Torch 

world  is  an  apostate  from  God,  and  under  condemnation, 
not  for  Adam's  sins,  but  for  his  own. 

The  countless  millions  of  little  children  in  Africa  are 
not  heathen,  but  are,  in  common  with  the  children  of 
Europe  or  America,  the  children  of  God.  Hence  my  plan 
of  founding  missions  in  Africa  was  to  secure  a  good  mission 
farm,  provide  the  necessary  tools  and  implements  for  the 
development  of  abundant  indigenous  food  supplies  and 
marketable  products  ;  build  plain  but  permanent,  healthful 
houses  for  residence,  school,  and  worship,  and  place  in  care 
of  a  good  missionary  matron  about  a  dozen  children  under 
five  years  old,  half  of  them  girls,  to  be  kept  in  God's  family, 
where  they  belong,  to  be  trained  "  in  the  way  they  should 
go  " — trained  in  book  knowledge  suited  to  their  station  in 
life,  trained  in  all  the  industries  of  the  farm,  workshop,  and 
household  duties,  and  brought  to  Jesus,  and  have  him  take 
them  up  into  his  arms,  put  his  saving  "  hands  upon  them," 
"  and  pray"  for  them,  and  bring  them  into  conscious  spirit- 
ual union  with  God  ;  and  thus,  being  trained  in  all  the  duties 
of  Christian  life,  they  will,  when  they  grow  to  maturity,  pair 
off  in  holy  marriage  union  and  build  homes  of  their  own, 
establish  Christian  communities,  and  on  a  solid,  abiding  basis 
lay  the  foundations  of  Christian  empire. 

Every  such  mission  requires  a  competent  missionary 
matron  far  exceeding  in  ability  and  adaptability  the  aver- 
age Christian  mother  of  Christian  countries  ;  ability  to  stand 
the  climate,  endure  the  hardness  of  rough  pioneer  life, 
where  the  most  of  interior  traveling  must  be  done  by  walk- 
ing in  narrow  slippery  paths,  wading  rivers  and  climbing 
mountains;  ability  to  learn  foreign  languages  from  the 
heathen  without  books  ;  ability  to  superintend  the  industries 
of  their  missions,  and  a  substation  in  their  vicinity,  as  well 
as  to  teach  the  school,  and  especially  to  work  together  with 
God  in  leading  all  the  little  children  to  glorify  him  as  God — 
to  have  them  perfected  in  heart,  loyalty,  faith,  and  love  before 
their  appetences  and  affections  can  be  perverted  into  sinful 
lusts. 


^  -»-j^-^.H>    -iV 


Childhood  Type 


In  Darkest  Africa  329 

How  do  the  young  converts  stand?  In  the  main  "they 
stand  fast  in  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ  hath  set  them 
free."  I  wiU  give  you  an  illustrative  example  which  occurred 
at  the  Barraka  Station.  The  missionaries  were  threatened 
with  death  and  driven  out,  but  they  were  faithful  workers, 
and  got  a  prominent  man  and  his  wife  of  that  belligerent 
tribe  saved,  also  two  boys.  Said  man  and  wife  were  driven 
out  with  the  missionaries.  One  of  the  boys,  named  Uriah, 
was  seized  by  his  people  and  told  if  he  did  not  renounce 
Jesus  and  come  back  to  his  "  country  fash  "  they  would  beat 
hini  to  death. 

He  replied,  "You  can  beat  me  to  death,  but  you  can't 
make  me  turn  away  from  Jesus." 

Then  they  beat  him  till  he  was  almost  speechless,  but  he 
kept  saying,  "  No,  no;   I  won't  give  up  Jesus." 

They  next  tried  drowning  him,  and  threw  him  into  a 
creek,  holding  his  head  under  water  till  nearly  dead,  let- 
ting him  up  again  and  again  to  say  yes,  but  he  said,  "  No, 
no;  I  won't  give  up  Jesus."  Last  of  all  they  roped  him 
and  ran  him  up  to  the  inner  apex  of  one  of  their  round  huts 
and  kindled  a  fierce  fire  under  him,  throwing  into  the 
flames  a  quantity  of  red  pepper,  and  strangled  him  till  he 
seemed  to  cough  and  sneeze  himself  to  death,  and  then  let 
him  down ;  but  as  soon  as  he  recovered  his  speech  he 
said,  "  Kill  me  if  you  want  to,  but  I  won't  give  up  my  Jesus." 

Then  his  people  gave  him  up  as  an  incorrigible,  and  Uriah 
and  Tom,  his  fellow-convert  from  heathenism,  took  charge  of 
the  mission  house  and  farm  and  held  the  fort  alone,  from 
the  departure  of  the  good  brother  and  wife  till  Miss  Grace 
White  arrived  from  America  to  take  charge  of  the  station. 

"  How  did  you  manage  to  adopt  children  from  heathen 
families  into  your  nursery  missions?  " 

We  gradually  won  the  confidence  of  the  heathen  people, 
and  some  of  them  cheerfully  gave  us  their  little  boys;  but 
the  girls  have  a  marketable  value,  and  the  polygamists,  in 
most  cases,  got  the  inside  track  of  us  and  paid  the  dower 
price  of  most  of  them  before  they  were  three  years  old.     So 


330 


The  Flaming  Torch 


we  had  in  many  tribes  to  pay  the  dower  and  redeem  them 
from  polygamous  slavery.  We  already  see  the  dawning  of 
a  brighter  day.  As  we  advanced  we  got  influence  over  the 
lawmaking  and  governing  rulers  of  the  tribes. 

In  Malange,  for  example,  where  we  had  about  thirty 
saved  children,  we  were  not  under  the  necessity,  through 
an  occupancy  of  twelve  years,  to  spend  a  cent  for  re- 
deeming a  single  boy  or  girl.  When  I  was  at  that  station 
on  one  occasion  I  was  introduced  to  a  girl  of  three  in 
their  nursery,  deeply  pitted  with  small  pox,  and  heard  Ar- 
della  Mead  give  in  substance  the  following  facts:  A  few 
weeks  ago  a  powerful  naked  heathen  man,  bearing  this  child 
on  his  back,  laid  her  down  and  said  :  "  Now  my  work  is  done. 
Three  months  ago  I  saw  this  child's  mother  dying  in  Saint 
Paul  de  Loanda,  and  she  said  to  me,  '  I  am  dying  ;  when 
you  see  me  laid  down  in  the  ground  take  up  my  child  and 
carry  her  to  the  Missao  Americano  at  Malange  and  give  her 
to  the  missionaries.  Promise  me  before  I  die  that  you  will 
give  my  child  to  the  missionaries  of  the  Missao  Americano.' 
So  I  promised  her.  When  I  saw  that  mother  buried  I  took 
up  this  child,  and  when  I  had  carried  her  about  halfway 
(whole  distance  over  three  hundred  and  ninety  miles)  she 
went  down  with  smallpox,  and  I  nursed  her  for  more  than  a 
moon,  and  then  carried  her  to  this  Missao,  and  now  I  am 
free  from  my  promise,  and  leave  the  child  with  you," 

"  What  is  the  name  of  the  child?"  "  Rubina."  A  nice 
little  Christian  girl  of  about  seven  years,  named  Merikina, 
gazed  a  few  moments  at  the  little  newcomer,  and  then  ran 
and  embraced  her,  saying,  "  This  is  my  sister." 


In  Darkest  Africa 


331 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

Apostolic  and  Early  Modern  Missions 

S  the  discoveries  of  the  ruins  of  ancient 
walled  cities  whose  treasures  of  art 
and  science,  belonging  to  a  civiliza- 
tion that  had  nothing  in  common 
with  their  present  surroundings,  bear 
mute  testimony  to  the  commercial  in- 
fluence and  military  glory  once  their 
own,  so  in  many  of  the  tribal  customs 
of  Africa  there  are  traces  of  the  intro- 
duction and  observance  of  forms  of 
revealed  religion.  Antedating  the 
Christian  era  there  probably  were 
missionaries  of  the  Jewish  dispensa- 
tion whose  proselytes  were  scattered 
over  the  entire  length  and  breadth  of 
the  continent.  The  custom  to  this 
day  of  some  of  the  tribes  of  living  in  booths  constructed  from 
the  branches  of  trees  at  a  certain  season  of  the  year,  observ- 
ing ceremonies  identical  with  those  of  the  children  of  Israel  ; 
the  liberation  of  a  cock  in  the  wilderness,  to  c.u  ry  away  the 
transgressions  of  the  people  ;  the  practice  of  circumcision, 
so  general  among  the  Zulus,  seem  to  link  them  with  the 
period  following  the  Exodus.  The  traditional  history  of 
Abyssinia  connects  it  with  that  of  the  Jews  a  thousand  years 
before  Christ,  when  it  records  the  visit  of  the  Queen  of 
Sheba  to  King  Solomon.  It  was  at  that  time  a  rich,  popu- 
lous, and  powerful  state,  and  is  the  only  portion  of  Africa, 
save  Egypt,  that  maintained  its  type  of  civilization  through 
the  ages.  For  a  thousand  years  it  was  shut  off  from  the  rest 
of  the  world  by  the  tide  of  Mohammedan  invasion,  stayed  at 
the  rocky  passes  of  the  mountains  of  Abyssinia. 


332  The  Flaming  Torch 

According  to  tlie  prevailing  traditions  of  the  Abyssinians 
themselves,  they  received  the  first  Christian  missionary, 
a  chamberlain  of  Queen  Candace,  called  an  Ethiopian 
eunuch  in  the  Book  of  Acts,  where  is  recorded  the  conver- 
sion and  baptism  of  this  important  personage.  Philip  the 
evangelist  departed  from  a  great  meeting  amid  the  throngs 
of  Samaria  and  turned  southward  into  the  desert,  specially 
instructed  by  the  angel  of  the  Lord  to  preach  to  one  man,  a 
black  man,  and  commission  him  as  the  first  Christian  mis- 
sionary to  interior  Africa.  We  have  the  record  of  the  pres- 
ence of  representatives  from  Egypt  and  parts  of  Libya 
about  Cyrene  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  who,  doubtless,  car- 
ried the  glad  tidings  to  their  countrymen.  Many  Christian 
churches  were  organized  on  the  northern  coast,  of  which 
Alexandria  and  Carthage  became  leading  centers,  producing 
many  famous  theologians  and  preachers,  among  them  Cle- 
ment, Origen,  Cyril,  Athanasius,  and  Augustine. 

The  earliest  modern  missionary  movement  in  Africa  must 
be  credited  to  the  greatest  missionary  Church  of  the  age,  for 
their  numbers,  the  Moravians.  True,  we  have  some  trace  of 
where  the  symbol  of  the  cross  was  raised  on  the  southern 
shores  two  and  a  half  centuries  earlier  by  the  Portuguese  suc- 
cessors of  the  bold  Bartholomew  Diaz  on  their  voyages  to 
and  from  India  ;  but  the  earliest  record  of  persistent  mis- 
sionary effort  is  that  of  the  Moravian,  George  Schmidt,  in 
1739.  The  two  English  captains  who  took  possession  of  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  in  1620  in  the  name  of  their  king  ex- 
pressed the  hope  that  "  the  savage  inhabitants  would  soon 
become  servants  of  his  majesty,  and  then  worshipers  of  the 
true  God,"  and  when,  thirty  years  later,  the  Dutch  built  a 
fort  at  the  Cape  and  claimed  the  country,  their  record  of  the 
transaction  includes  the  wish  that  their  "  rule  might  tend  to 
uphold  righteousness,  and  plant  and  further  pure  Christian 
teaching  among  the  Avild  and  savage  natives  of  the  country." 
But  a  century  later  Schmidt  found  that  the  condition  of  the 
natives  and  their  relation  to  the  white  colonists  painfully 
showed  that  nothing  had  been  done  to  carry  out  the  good 


In  Darkest  Africa 


333 


wishes  expressed.  They  had  evidently  proceeded  on  the 
principle  that,  like  the  Canaanites  of  old,  the  inhabitants 
were  doomed  to  destruction,  and  those  within  their  reach 
were  reduced  to  moral  and  physical  degradation  and  servi- 
tude. Into  this  debauched  savagery,  a  condition  worse 
than  heathenism,  hotly  pursued  by  the  fierce  opposition  of 
the  rum  civilization,  was  ushered  a  Christian  hero  who  had 
been  crippled  for  life  by  being  chained  six  years  in  a  Bohe- 


A  Hottentot   Kraal 


mian  prison  "  for  the  sake  of  the  Gospel."  For  five  years 
George  Schmidt  labored  amid  a  variety  of  adverse  circum- 
stances, astonished  the  colonists  by  the  rapid  enlightenment 
and  learning  of  his  native  converts,  built  up  a  church  with  a 
membership  of  forty-seven,  was  driven  with  his  little  flock 
of  faithful  followers  into  "  Ape  Valley"  by  hostile  farmers, 
and,  finally,  forbidden  by  government  edict  to  continue  his 
labor  of  love,  died  on  his  knees  in  Europe,  praying  for 
Africa. 

It  was   fifty  years  before  the  work  of  the  Moravians  was 


334  The  Flaming  Torch 

resumed,  when  the  three  missionaries  sent  out  found  only 
one  survivor  of  the  first  church,  an  aged  woman.  And  it 
was  a  Kaffir  woman,  bearing  the  baptismal  name  of  Wilhel- 
mina,  whose  piety  and  zeal,  wit  and  wisdom,  made  possible 
the  extension  of  the  work  at  that  time.  A  new  station  was 
opened  in  the  country  of  the  wild  Tani bookies,  whither 
went  the  three  missionaries,  twenty  Hottentot  converts,  and 
Wilhelmina.  She  proved  a  host  in  herself,  interpreting, 
teaching  a  class  of  girls,  dispensing  the  Word  of  Life  along 
with  bread  to  the  hungry  at  her  kitchen  door,  and  preaching 
to  the  messengers  of  Kaffir  chiefs.  With  all  her  noble  self- 
sacrifice  it  was  a  year  of  disaster  ;  the  gardens  were  devas- 
tated by  the  locusts,  the  herds  were  driven  away  by  the 
thieving  Fetkameas,  and  most  of  the  Tambookies  decamped. 
The  second  year  she  saved  the  missionaries  from  massacre. 
The  imposition  of  a  government  fine  was  attributed  by  a 
savage  chief  to  the  presence  of  the  missionaries,  whom  he 
determined  to  destroy.  Wilhelmina  was  at  work  in  her  gar- 
den when  the  rapid  approach  of  her  countrymen  in  their 
war  paint  proclaimed  their  cruel  errand.  She  quickly  ran 
into  their  midst,  upbraided  them  for  their  treachery,  and 
controlled  them  by  her  impassioned  eloquence.  Instead  of 
killing  the  missionaries  and  the  daring  woman  they  with- 
drew, and  afterward  actually  sent  to  apologize. 

Amid  trials  and  triumphs  the  worl-:  of  the  Moravians  has 
continued  in  South  Africa  from  that  time  on,  an  increasing 
number  of  stations  and  substations  having  been  established, 
and,  among  other  blessed  institutions  of  Christianity,  a  leper 
asylum  at  Gnadendal. 

The  next  light-bearer  in  the  Dark  Continent  was  Dr. 
Vanderkampf,  sent  out  in  1799  by  the  London  Missionary 
Society.  He  had  lived  an  eventful  half  century  before  he 
took  passage  for  the  Cape  on  a  Cornish  ship  bound  for  New 
South  Wales,  and  brought  to  opposing  colonists  and  wild 
heathen  natives  a  devotion  of  zeal  that  knew  no  discourage- 
ment. With  three  assistants,  and  a  little  later  joined  by  a 
fourth,  he  addressed  himself  immediately  to  the  surmount- 


In  Darkest  Africa  335 

ing  of  formidable  difficulties,  not  the  least  of  which  was  the 
absence  of  written  language  among  the  natives.  Patient  toil 
developed  a  fundamental  literature,  and  with  the  region 
about  Algoa  Bay  as  a  basis  they  branched  out  in  the  coun- 
try of  the  Hottentots.  In  twenty  years  they  had  established 
large  schools,  the  natives  making  astonishing  progress  in  in- 
tellectual development,  introduced  a  printing  press,  and 
gathered  some  spiritual  fruits  of  their  labors.  The  immedi- 
ate results  appeared  in  the  condition  of  the  people.  Ex- 
tensive gardens  were  cultivated  by  Bushmen,  who  had 
hitherto  handled  only  the  bow  and  spear,  but  were  now 
skilled  in  the  simpler  mechanics  and  industrial  arts. 

The  Hottentots  are  a  race  peculiarly  marked,  with  deep- 
set  eyes  and  very  high  cheek  bones  ;  their  faces  on  a  line 
across  the  nose  and  cheek  bones  are  very  broad,  narrowing 
above  to  the  forehead  and  below  to  the  pointed  chin.  Their 
powers  of  physical  endurance  are  marvelous.  On  a  journey 
to  Namaqualand  on  horseback,  but  unarmed,  Francis  King 
and  a  young  companion  were  halted  by  a  band  of  Bushmen, 
w^ho  suddenly  sprang  out  from  a  thicket  and  seized  their  bri- 
dle reins.  King  said  to  his  companion,  "  Jim,  don't  show  the 
least  fear  ;  keep  perfectly  cool,  and  we  may  providentially  find 
a  way  of  escape."  They  were  soon  joined  by  a  Bushman  hav- 
ing six  toes  on  each  foot,  who  seemed  to  be  their  leader,  and 
who  King  found  could  understand  a  little  Dutch.  He  asked 
for  water,  and  still  holding  their  bridles  they  conducted  them 
about  two  miles  to  a  spring,  where  they  managed  to  get  a 
little  water,  for  they  were  nearly  famished.  King  continued 
to  address  them  as  friends,  and  expressed  a  desire  to  pur- 
chase ostrich  feathers.  Two  started  off  on  a  run,  and  after 
an  hour's  absence  returned  with  a  few  feathers,  for  which  he 
promptly  paid,  and  offered  a  good  price  for  an  immediate  de- 
livery of  a  large  supply.  Under  the  impulse  of  the  moment 
the  Bushmen  followed  the  native  African  trade  instinct,  and 
all  trotted  off  after  feathers. 

As  soon  as  they  were  out  of  sight  the  young  men  mounted 
and  rode  for  life.     They  traveled  all  that  night,  and  did  not 


336  The  Flaming  Torch 

dare  to  stop  long  enough  to  make  a  cup  of  tea  until  near  sunset 
the  following  day,  having,  as  they  supposed,  put  more  than 
forty  miles  between  themselves  and  the  savages.  While  they 
were  enjoying  their  tea  and  talking  of  their  narrow  escape 
the  six-toed  fellow  and  his  companions  walked  into  "  camp  " 
and  seated  themselves  in  a  circle  around  them  without  say- 
ing a  word.  King  talked  Dutch  to  Six-toes,  but  he  made  no 
reply.  While  he  continued  to  talk  and  laugh  (there  was  no 
laugh  in  their  dreadful  prospects  !)  his  mind  was  busy  plan- 
ning another  escape  ;  and  remembering  a  bees'  nest  he  had 
discovered  in  the"  rocks  a  little  way  back  he  said  to  Six- 
toes,  "  Wouldn't  you  like  me  to  show  you  honey  ?  You 
must  be  hungry  after  your  journey."  King  had  touched  an- 
other African  tender  spot,  and,  springing  up  to  lead  the  way, 
they  all  followed.  Jim  called  out  in  English,  "  Frank,  are 
you  going  to  trust  yourself  alone  and  unarmed  with  those 
savages?  "  He  replied,  "Our  trusting  ourselves  with  them 
is  none  of  our  choosing.  Get  the  horses  ready  and  take 
them  to  the  other  side  of  the  ridge  beyond  the  bees'  nest." 
The  hungry  Bushmen  eagerly  pushed  their  way  into  the 
rocks  to  get  the  honey,  and  when  one  of  them  drew  out  a 
fine  piece  of  comb  King  snatched  it  from  him  and  began  to 
eat  it.  To  their  angry  protests  he  replied,  "  Dig  away  ;  you 
will  find  plenty  of  honey  in  there ;  "  so  their  eagerness  in- 
creased, while  King  walked  up  and  down  eating  his  honey 
and  humming  a  tune  to  impress  them  with  his  assumed 
indifference,  all  the  time  watching  his  opportunity  to  run, 
which  he  soon  did.  They  quickly  mounted  and  pushed 
their  horses  to  the  utmost  of  their  endurance  for  about  thirty 
miles.  Then  in  almost  utter  exhaustion  they  drew  rein, 
off-saddled  and  knee-haltered  their  horses,  and,  half  burying 
themselves  in  the  sand,  were  soon  asleep.  As  they  after- 
ward found,  they  had  not  slept  long  when  King  was  awak- 
ened by  something  cold  touching  his  nose.  In  the  moon- 
light he  instantly  recognized  the  dog  of  those  Bushmen,  but 
he  trotted  a^way  without  a  yelp  of  alarm.  He  awakened 
his  companion,  and  in  a  whisper  counseled  perfect  silence  and 


DC 


In  Darkest  Africa  339 

a  sharp  lookout.  In  a  few  minutes  their  pursuers  ran  past, 
only  a  few  rods  distant.  They  quickly  mounted  their  tired 
horses,  and  doubling  on  their  tracks  finally  made  their 
escape.  This  is  one  of  many  perilous  adventures  that  illus- 
trate pioneer  Hfe  in  darkest  Africa. 

The  organization  of  permanent  missionary  work  among 
the  Bechuanas  dates  from  the  arrival  there,  in  i8i8,  of 
Robert  Moffat,  a  name  that  will  be  forever  connected  with 
the  Christianization  of  the  country.  The  work  of  the  Lon- 
don Missionary  Society  had  been  extended  to  the  Orange 
River  under  peculiar  circumstances.  Tribal  wars  had  dev- 
astated the  country,  whole  towns  being  depopulated.  A 
refugee  lad  from  one  of  these  towns  found  his  way  into  the 
Basuto  country,  ruled  by  Mosliesh,a  monarch  the  Dutch  had 
been  fighting  for  several  years.  After  many  days  of  weary 
wanderings,  subsisting  on  pumpkin  seeds  found  in  deserted 
huts,  the  lad  fell  in  with  Sekolette's  tribe,  called  the  Man- 
tatees.  They  roughly  treated  the  poor  little  refugee  ;  but 
one  day  he  told  the  chiefs  he  had  seen  a  vision,  and  that  a 
great  army  was  coming  from  the  north  to  destroy  them  and 
carry  away  their  cattle.  But  they  were  then  a  strong  tribe, 
warlike,  rich  in  cattle,  proud,  and  the  chief  said,  "Who  can 
conquer  us?"  But  a  mightier  tribe  came  down  from  the 
north,  killed  many  of  them,  and  drove  off  most  of  their  cattle. 

Then  they  began  to  believe  in  their  little  refugee  prophet. 
Long  after,  the  boy  had  another  vision  ;  a  copper-colored 
people,  on  horses,  having  guns  to  fight  with,  would  kill 
many  of  them  and  take  away  their  children,  goats,  and 
sheep.  Not  long  after,  the  Korannas,  the  Hottentot  bas- 
tard tribe,  who  from  long  intercourse  with  the  Dutch  had 
learned  the  use  of  firearms  and  were  well  supplied  with 
guns,  came  and  devastated  the  country.  These  incursions 
broke  the  proud  spirit  of  the  Mantatees;  and  again  the  boy 
prophet  gave  notice  of  a  vision.  A  large  company  of  people 
would  come  to  reside  among  them,  not  for  war  but  peace, 
and  with  them  were  men  dressed  in  black  clothes,  who 
would    bring  glad  tidings.     Shortly  after  that  there  arrived 


340  The  Flaming  Torch 

among  them  the  people  of  three  of  the  abandoned  mission 
stations,  in  all  about  twelve  thousand  souls,  under  the  care 
of  three  missionaries.  Had  they  gone  into  that  country  be- 
fore the  pride  of  the  Mantatees  had  been  humbled  not  one 
of  them  would  have  escaped  death.  The  prophet  lad  was 
one  of  the  first  converts  to  Christ  among  them,  and  previous 
to  any  knowledge  on  the  part  of  the  missionaries  of  his  pre- 
dictions they  baptized  him  Daniel. 

The  story  of  the  half  century  of  work  among  the  Bech- 
uanas,  under  the  leadership  of  Robert  Moffat,  is  too  familiar 
to  make  an  extended  account  necessary  here.  In  some  re- 
spects it  was  like  a  second  edition  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles, 
and,  considered  in  the  light  of  the  results  to  the  Dark  Conti- 
nent through  the  life,  labors,  and  death  of  David  Living- 
stone, it  bears  a  unique  relation  to  the  progress  made  toward 
its  Christianization. 

Among  the  first  converts  baptized  by  Robert  Moffat  was 
Chief  Africane,  who  had  previously  driven  the  missionaries 
from  the  Orange  River  ;  a  robber  and  outlaw,  upon  whose 
head  a  price  was  set,  transformed  by  grace  into  an  effective 
preacher  of  the  Gospel.  After  the  removal  of  the  mission  to 
the  Kuruman  River  the  usual  difficulties  w^ere  augmented 
by  the  privations  of  the  long  drought  followed  by  war. 
After  peace  was  restored  prosperity  prevailed  for  a  season. 
The  natives  manifested  deep  concern  for  their  spiritual  con- 
dition, the  mission  chapels  were  thronged,  prayer  from 
house  to  house  became  the  usual  order,  and  the  converts 
gave  good  evidence  of  a  new  life.  The  women  and  girls 
were  taught  how  to  make  clothing,  in  which  they  were  soon 
arrayed,  one  of  the  many  tokens  of  the  great  change  that 
had  come  over  the  people,  their  persons,  social  customs, 
domestic  relations,  and  public  life.  Their  progress  in  knowl- 
edge was  equally  gratifying,  while  great  progress  was  made 
in  the  better  cultivation  of  the  soil  and  the  increase  of  its 
products.  The  first  Scripture  translation  made  by  Dr. 
Moffat— the  gospel  of  Luke— was  printed  at  the  Cape  in 
183c,  and  soon  after  the  mission  had  its  own  printing  press. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


341 


It  was  in  1S40  that  David  Livingstone  followed  to  this 
mission,  a  distance  of  seven  hundred  miles  from  Cape  Town, 
and  great  prosperity  continued  until  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Kaffir  war,  in  1846.  This  long  and  bitter  struggle  desolated 
the  country,  but  could  not  quench  the  living  fires  that  had 
been  fanned  into  a  blaze  in  those  dark  places.  It  was  a 
crushing  persecution  in  1S53  that  led  to  the  great  lifework  of 
David  Livingstone,  the  perils  and  privations  of  the  early 
years  of  which  were  shared  by  his  wife,  the  daughter  of 
Robert  Moffat.  The  Dutch  emigrants  attacked  the  tribes 
among  whom  they  were  laboring,  and  not  only  killed  or 
captured  a  large  number  of  men,  women,  and  children,  but 
destroyed  mission  property.  The  missionaries  themselves 
were  "  court-martialed  "  and  banished  from  the  country. 
This  unwarranted  interference  opened  the  door  to  Living- 
stone for  the  inspiration  of  a  greater  task  and  cut  him  loose 
for  its  accomplishment.  Of  this  turning  point  in  his  life 
he  said,  "  The  Boers  resolved  to  shut  up  the  interior,  and  I 
determined  to  open  the  country;  we  shall  see  who  has  suc- 
ceeded, they  or  I."  All  the  civilized  world,  and  much  of 
heathen  Africa,  knows  the  achievements  of  his  life,  and  death, 
and  in  the  movements  of  Christianization  and  civilization 
he  still  lives  and  will  continue  to  live  until  the  continent  is 
won  for  Christ.  As  I  walked  in  his  footsteps,  over  some 
portions  of  the  dark  land  that  had  been  made  brighter  be- 
cause of  his  presence,  the  tears  that  fell,  like  those  I  shed  as 
I  stood  over  his  resting  place  in  Westminster  Abbey,  were 
tears  of  joy  at  the  coming  dawn  for  which  he  prayed. 


^-:  i?:. 


Mir 


342 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

Christianizing;  Wild  Tribes 

T  an  early  date  in  the  period  of  the  Moham- 
medan advance  in  Africa  the  propaganda 
pushed  southward  and  attempted  to  set 
up  its  standards  and  erect  its  centers  of 
influence  in  Zululand,  but  these  stalwart 
people  steadily  refused  to  become  converts 
to  the  teaching  of  the  Koran  or  to  be  ab- 
sorbed by  its  military  or  political  power, 
and  hence  the  name  Koofer  (unbeliever) 
was  bestowed  upon  them,  now  modernized 
into  Kafiir.  What  would  have  been  the 
result  had  they  yielded  to  the  influence 
of  the  religion  whose  tenets  are  enforced 
at  the  point  of  the  saber  is  illustrated  by  the  condition  of 
many  tribes  in  North  and  Central  Africa  now  under  Arab 
dominion.  What  they  now  are  in  advance  of  their  less 
fortunate  neighbors  is  due  entirely  to  the  emancipating 
power  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  has  blessed  and 
elevated  them  up  to  the  measure  of  their  reception  of  it, 
and  many  thousands  have  become  the  subjects  of  the 
heavenly  King, 

Wesleyan  missions  have  taken  an  important  part  in  the 
Christian  civilization  of  South  and  West  Africa.  Their  earli- 
est arrival  in  Cape  Town  was  in  1814,  a  solitary  missionary 
who  was  neither  allowed  to  preach  nor  proceed,  but  advised 
to  turn  his  steps  toward  Ceylon.  The  following  year  their 
pioneer  mission  founder,  Barnabas  Shaw,  who  proved  a  "son 
of  consolation  "  to  thousands  whom  he  found  in  densest 
heathenism,  experienced  the  same  lack  of  welcome  at  the 
Cape  ;  but  he  insisted  upon  opening  his  commission,  and 
preached  without  the  consent   of  the  governor.      His  con- 


In  Darkest  Africa  343 

gregations  were  mainly  made  up  of  soldiers,  and  as  his 
mission  was  to  the  heathen  he  sought  opportunity  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  wilderness. 

In  1815  he  accompanied  Mr.  Schueler,  of  the  London 
Society,  in  a  journey  toward  Great  Namaqualand,  in  the 
course  of  which  he  met  his  "providential  man,"  sent  to  con- 
duct him  to  his  divinely  appointed  field  of  labor.  After 
they  had  crossed  the  Elephant  River  they  met  in  the  path 
the  chief  of  Little  Namaqualand,  accompanied  by  his  bod}'- 
guard,  on  his  way  southward  to  find  a  missionary  to  conie 
and  teach  his  people  of  the  great  N'zambe.  This  heathen 
"pastoral  supply  committee"  were  importunate  in  their 
desire  to  make  Barnabas  Shaw  their  j)rophct,  and  he  gladly 
accepted  the  call  as  of  God,,  as  the  event  abundantly  proved 
it  to  be.  Leaving  the  missionary  party  he  was  journe}-ing 
with  to  proceed  on  its  way  northward,  he  committed  him- 
self to  the  escort  of  the  heathen  chief,  and  after  journeying 
with  him  for  three  weeks  they  arrived  at  Liliefontein,  the 
principal  town  of  the  chief  of  the  Little  Namaquas.  Long 
before  they  reached  the  "  great  place  "  they  were  met  by  a 
company  of  natives  mounted  on  oxen,  coming  at  full  gallop 
to  welcome  them.  Their  glad  acclamations  were  subdued 
into  reverence  and  awe  at  the  presence  of  the  missionary's 
wife,  the  first  white  woman  they  had  ever  seen. 

After  preparing  for  the  hospitable  entertainment  of  his 
guests  on  a  scale  worthy  of  their  high  calling  and  his  official 
dignity,  the  chief  called  a  council,  in  which  they  unani- 
mously indorsed  the  appointment  of  their  first  minister, 
promising  to  assist  him  in  the  establishment  of  a  mission. 
He  immediately  commenced  to  lay  foundations  that  abide  to 
this  day,  and  during  all  the  years  have  witnessed  the  dispens- 
ing of  Gospel  blessings  to  a  once  deeply  benighted  people. 
While  the  work  of  teaching  the  young  was  being  inaugu- 
rated and  patienth'  developed  he  preached  in  the  open  air  to 
the  assembled  multitude. 

Helpful  industries  were  early  introduced,  much  to  the 
interest,  not   infrequently  to  the  amusement,  and  always  to 


344  The  Flaming  Torch 

the  marked  improvement  of  the  people.  In  the  object 
lesson  in  gardening  the  rapid  growth  of  vegetable  seeds 
astounded  them,  and  when  they  saw  the  use  to  which 
lettuce  and  other  salads  were  put  they  laughed  heartily, 
saying,  "  If  our  missionaries  and  their  wives  can  eat  grass 
they  need  never  starve."  A  plow  and  a  buzz  saw  proved 
to  be  helpful  civilizing  agencies.  When  the  old  chief  saw 
the  plow  "tear  up  the  ground  with  its  iron  mouth"  he  ex- 
claimed, "  If  it  goes  on  so  all  day  it  will  do  more  work  than 
ten  wives."  And  so  it  proved  here,  as  in  King  Khama's 
country,  that  the  introduction  of  labor-saving  inventions  be- 
came an  invaluable  ally  in  battling  against  the  hoary-headed 
customs  of  heathenism. 

When  thoroughly  organized  and  reinforced  by  the  arrival 
of  Edwards,  whose  labors  extended  over  half  a  century,  and 
later  by  others,  new  stations  were  opened  in  the  Unterveldt 
and  among  the  Bushmen.  In  1855  a  handsome  stone 
chapel,  seating  six  hundred  worshipers,  was  erected  on  the 
original  site  of  the  central  mission,  the  cost  of  about  five 
thousand  dollars  being  met  by  the  contributions  of  the  peo- 
ple themselves,  without  any  foreign  assistance  other  than 
the  present  of  a  pulpit  from  Cape  Town.  Remembering 
the  darkness  of  heathenism  into  which  he  had  brought  the 
first  ray  of  light,  and  beholding  the  well-dressed  congrega- 
tion that  filled  the  beautiful  chapel  on  the  day  of  its  dedi- 
cation as  their  gift  to  the  service  of  Almighty  God,  well 
might  this  veteran  missionary  have  exclaimed,  "  The  morn- 
ing Cometh." 

It  was  after  the  success  of  the  mission  in  Little  Namaqua- 
land  had  been  well  established  that  Edwards  was  ordered 
to  proceed  from  there  to  Cape  Town,  to  make  the  third 
attempt  to  establish  a  Wesleyan  mission  there,  this  time  a 
successful  one.  In  1820,  with  the  consent  of  the  governor, 
he  began  to  preach  to  the  slave  population  of  the  town  and 
surrounding  country.  Chapels  were  soon  built.  Sabbath  and 
day  schools  opened,  churches  organized,  and  the  work,  being 
well  reinforced,  extended  to  Simon's  Town,  Stellenbosch, 


I  ^ 


In  Darkest  Africa  347 

Somerset,  and  Robertson,  the  latter  at  a  distance  of  one  hun- 
dred miles  from  Cape  Town.  When  this  basis  of  operations 
at  the  Cape  was  established  a  line  of  missions  was  opened  in 
the  native  territories  adjoining. 

The  first  Wesleyan  mission  to  the  Kaffirs  was  to  the 
Amagonakwali  tribe  of  the  Amaxosa  nation,  then  ruled  by 
Chief  Cato  and  his  brothers  Kobi  and  Khama.  In  1820 
William  Shaw,  assisted  by  William  Shepstone,  made  their 
appearance  among  them.  They  showed  him  where  to  build 
his  place,  remote  from  their  kraals,  for  the\'  said,  "This 
word  of  God  will  bring  sickness  among  us."  A  native  town 
grew  up  around  the  mission  station,  and  was  called 
"  Wesleyville."  In  August,  1825,  three  natives  were  bap- 
tized in  the  presence  of  a  large  assembly  of  people — the 
first  fruits  of  a  glorious  harvest.  Among  those  who  were 
afterward  baptized  in  Wesle}'ville  were  Chief  Khama  and 
his  wife,  the  latter  a  daughter  of  the  great  Chief  Gaika  and 
sister  of  Makomo,  the  leader  in  the  great  Kaffir  wars. 
Wesleyville  was  destroyed  by  the  Kaffir  war  of  1835,  after- 
ward rebuilt,  and  destroyed  again  in  the  war  of  1848.  The 
great  chiefs  Cato  and  Kobi  came  to  grief  in  these  wars. 
One  was  long  confined  on  Robin  Island,  in  Table  Bay;  but 
their  tribe,  under  the  leadership  of  Chief  Khama,  remained 
true  to  the  British  government  and  found  a  peaceful  home 
on  the  banks  of  the  Keiskhama,  British  Kaffi-aria. 

A  strong  personal  friendship  between  Shaw  and  Khama 
led  up  to  the  chiefs  conversion.  On  several  occasions  he 
took  him  with  him  on  excursions  to  Graham's  Town,  where 
he  had  opportunity  to  observe  some  of  the  advantages  of 
Christian  civilization.  Khama  at  this  time  was  poor,  and 
Shaw  advised  him  to  buy  a  wagon,  telling  him  that  it  would 
help  him  very  much.  When  Khama  told  his  people  he 
was  going  to  buy  a  wagon  they  were  afraid  he  would  become 
converted,  and  they  endeavored  to  hinder  him  in  ever)' 
possible  way.  But  Kiiama  would  not  listen  to  them,  and 
gave  Shaw  ten  fat  oxen  with  which  to  buy  a  wagon  for 
him    in    Graham's    Town.      The    wacron    was    the    fouiida- 


348  The  Flaming  Torch 

tion  of  his  fortune,  earning  for  him  three  kraals  full  of 
cattle. 

One  morning  Khama  went  to  visit  Shaw,  when  the  latter 
said,  "Do  you  know  my  face  and  name?  "  Khama  replied, 
"Yes."  Shaw  said,  "And  I  know  your  face  and  name,"  and 
then  went  on  to  talk  to  him  about  the  next  world,  wdiere 
they  would  know  each  other  as  they  did  in  that  room.  This 
word  came  home  to  the  heart  of  the  chief,  and  led  eventu- 
ally to  his  conversion,  which  was  soon  followed  by  that  of 
his  wife,  his  brother,  and  a  large  number  of  others. 

When  I  met  Chief  Khama  at  Khamstone  he  was  in  his 
prime,  six  feet  in  height,  well  proportioned,  and  corpulent. 
His  head  was  very  large,  face  broad,  with  a  very  benevolent 
expression,  not  black,  but  the  usual  coffee  color  of  the 
"royal  line"  of  Kaffir  chiefs — altogether  a  noble-looking 
man.  In  a  missionary  address  he  thus  related  his  personal 
experience:  "When  I  became  a  Christian  my  fellow-chiefs 
and  many  of  my  people  laughed  at  me,  said  I  was  a  fool, 
and  would  never  become  ruling  chief,  that  my  people 
would  throw  me  away,  that  I  would  become  a  scabby  goat, 
a  vagabond  on  the  earth  without  home  or  friends.  But 
just  the  reverse  of  all  that  has  come  to  pass.  I  was  then 
young,  and  had  no  people.  My  older  brothers  had  a  great 
peoole ;  but  they  rejected  Christ,  lost  their  people  and 
everything  they  had,  and  I  remain  the  only  ruling  chief  of 
my  tribe." 

In  the  division  of  his  tribe  by  civil  wars  he  removed  with 
his  followers  to  the  Tambookie  country,  where  at  that  time 
there  was  no  missionary ;  so  Khama  called  the  people 
together  on  Sundays  and  preached  to  them,  his  eldest  son 
reading  for  him  from  the  word  of  God.  His  two  sons, 
Samuel  and  William  Shaw  (the  latter  became  a  Wesleyan 
minister),  were  converted  under  his  preaching,  as  were  a 
number  of  others,  and  William  Shepstone  came  and  baptized 
them,  and  thus  was  laid  the  foundation  of  Khamstone 
Mission,  afterward  visited  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  salva- 
tion of  many  souls.    As  king  of  the  Eastern  Ba-Mangwatos, 


In  Darkest  Africa 


349 


the  farthest  removed  from  civilized  South  Africa  of  the 
Kechuana  tribes,  Khama  is  to-day  exerting  a  vast  influence 
for  Christianity  in  his  own  and  surrounding  heathen  tribes. 

Among  the  stations 
early  opened  by  the 
Wesleyans  Graham's 
Town  became  a  center 
from  which  the  Avork 
extended  in  many  di- 
rections. After  the 
Hottentot  population, 
the  Fingoes  received 
the  word  of  God. 
Large  numbers  of 
them  had  collected  at 
Port  Elizabeth,  which 
became  a  strong  mis- 
sion. Through  the 
province  of  Natal,  as 
well  as  in  Kaffraria, 
and  higher  up  the 
country,  with  such 
centers  as  Craddock, 
Somerset  East,  Ped- 
dle, and  Newtondalc, 
industrial,  Sabbath, 
and  day  schools  were 
opened,  and  churches 
established.  With  the 
exception  of  Queens- 
town  itself  the  mis- 
sions in  Kaffraria  are 
amonsf      the       native 


Ba-Mangwato  Woman  at  Work 


populations.  After  Wesleyville  came  Butterworth  Station, 
which  was  opened  in  1827,  and  has  increased  to  forty  preach- 
ing places.  Morley  Station  was  opened  for  the  benefit  of  a 
peculiar  tribe  of  people,  who  seem  to  have  descended  in  part 


350  The  Flaming  Torch 

from  a  party  of  Europeans  who  were  cast  away  upon  the 
shores  of  Kaffraria  many  years  ago.  Afterward  removed  to 
New  Morley,  it  has  become  a  center  of  light  to  thousands  of 
once  degraded  natives.  At  Clarkesburg,  so  named  in  honor 
of  Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  two  of  the  early  missionaries  were  mur- 
dered by  marauding  natives.  During  a  night  attack  upon 
the  mission  one  of  them  had  rushed  out  of  his  house  and 
into  the  midst  of  the  fray,  endeavoring  to  quell  the  disturb- 
ance, when  he  was  pierced  through  with  an  assegai,  thrown 
by  one  of  the  attacking  party.  Buntingville,  although  the 
most  isolated  of  all  the  native  missions,  was  the  only  one 
that  was  not  destroyed,  once  or  oftener,  during  the  Kaffir 
wars. 

The  work  of  the  Wesleyans  has  also  been  carried  on  suc- 
cessfully in  Bechuanaland,  where  the  first  attempt,  in  1822, 
was  frustrated  by  war.  A  promising  station  was  opened  at 
Makwassi,  in  the  upper  region  of  the  Vaal  River ;  but  from 
this  place  they  w^ere  driven  out  by  the  Matebele,  one  of  the 
most  powerful  tribes  with  which  the  British  have  come  in 
contact.  They  finally  settled  to  the  north  of  the  Orange 
River,  where  the  Baralongs  have  become  a  happy  and  pros- 
perous people  through  the  spiritual,  mental,  and  industrial 
training  of  the  missionaries.  The  Bechuana  District  in- 
cludes several  missions  among  the  Dutch,  and  stations  have 
also  been  opened  in  the  Orange  Free  State. 

The  vast  amount  of  work  accomplished  by  the  Wesleyans 
in  South  Africa,  here  only  briefly  touched  upon,  is  incal- 
culable. Not  the  least  important  have  been  the  linguistic 
achievements,  in  the  translation  of  the  Scripture,  h}'mn  book. 
Catechism,  and  many  other  publications,  into  five  or  six 
different  languages.  The  construction  of  a  Kaffir  grammar, 
one  of  the  most  intricate  of  heathen  tongues,  was  ac- 
complished by  W.  B.  Boyce.  So  perfectly  do  they  speak 
their  own  language  that  he  told  me  he  had  never  heard  a 
Kaffir  boy  make  a  grammatical  error. 

So  varied  were  the  difficulties  encountered  by  pioneer 
missionaries  in  this,  at  that  time,  heathen  country,  and  so 


in  Darkest  Africa  351 

evident  the  necessity  for  preparatory  work,  that  while  there 
were  many  conversions  and  a  general  spiritual  upbuilding, 
up  to  the  time  of  my  arrival  in  South  Africa,  in  1866,  no 
"  express  train  "  of  evangelistic  power  had  been  put  on  the 
track  so  well  laid.  "The  way  of  the  Lord"  had  been  "pre- 
pared," and  it  was  his  time  to  reveal  his  glory  in  the  salva- 
tion of  thousands.  The  details  of  that  revival  campaign  of 
seven  months,  during  which  twelve  hundred  colonists  and 
seven  thousand  Kaffirs,  according  to  the  reports  of  the  mis- 
sionaries, were  added  unto  the  Church  through  saving  faith 
in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  have  been  related  under  my 
previous  authorship.  It  will  answer  the  scope  of  the  present 
purpose,  and  be  a  fitting  close  to  this  chapter  on  Methodism 
in  South  Africa  here  to  present  a  brief  account  of  a  portion 
of  the  work,  that  in  Natal,  just  received  from  the  Rev. 
Frederick  Mason,  of  Durban,  an  eyewitness: 

"  One    of  the  most  memorable  years,  perhaps   the   most 
memorable,  in  the  religious  history  of  South  Africa  was  the 
year   1 866.      The   importance   of  the   move- 
ment which   then   took  place  can  hardly  be     "^^^  ^'^^^  ^^- 
,  -      ,       1  •  -11  vival  in  South 

overestmiated.      JNlcthodism  received  at  that        Africaini866 

time  an  impetus  which  it  still  retains.  There 
was  a  great  numerical  increase,  such  as  had  never  taken  place 
before,  but  far  more  important  than  this  was  the  develop- 
ment of  a  spiritual  force  and  energy  which,  despite  fluctu- 
ations, has  never  been  wholly  spent,  and  has  been  often 
renewed. 

"  The  chief  agent  in  it  was  the  Rev.  William  Taylor,  of 
California,  afterward  a  missionary  bishop  in  western  Africa. 
Previously  he  had  preached  onl}'  to  Europeans;  henceforth 
his  work  was  to  be  chiefly  carried  on  among  the  colored 
races  of  three  continents.  After  several  months  of  success- 
ful work  in  Cape  Town,  Graham's  Town,  Queenstown,  Kaffir- 
land,  and  other  places,  the  momentum  of  it,  so  to  speak,  all 
the  while  increasing,  he  arrived  in  Natal.  It  is  of  his  work 
in  this  colony  that  I  now  chiefly  wish  to  write,  as  I  was 
residing  in   it  at   the   time,  and  had  good  opportunities   for 


352  The  Flaming  Torch 

observation.  Others  can  tell  the  story  better  of  what  occurred 
elsewhere. 

"On  Sunday  morning,  September  9,  1866,  he  opened  his 
commission  in  Pietermaritzburg  (commonly  called  Maritz- 
burg)  by  a  powerful  appeal  addressed  to  the  members  of  the 
church.  In  the  evening  there  was  a  large  attendance,  and 
he  preached  an  awakening  sermon.  The  meetings  continued 
a  fortnight,  the  power  and  influence  increasing  every  day. 
Still  in  Maritzburg  there  were  none  of  those  overwhelming 
manifestations  which  had  been  witnessed  and  were  afterward 
witnessed  elsewhere.  About  fifty  persons  actually  professed 
conversion.  The  Church  in  this  case  was  evidently  not  pre- 
pared for  a  larger  movement  or  more  abundant  visitation  of 
grace. 

"  From  Maritzburg  'Sir.  Taylor  went  to  Durban.  Here  the 
\\ork  was  greater  and  more  widespread.  All  classes  of  the 
community  were  more  or  less  influenced  by  it.  Night  after 
night  the  church  was  crowded  with  hearers  and  inquirers. 
Such  scenes  had  never  been  witnessed  in  Natal  before  ;  that 
is,  on  so  large  a  scale.  Yet  there  w-as  no  extravagance,  no 
'wild  fire,'  as  it  used  to  be  called.  Excitement  there  cer- 
tainly was,  fervid  and  intense,  but  it  was  deep  below  the 
surface,  and  based  upon  intelligent  conviction.  Those  vet- 
eran fathers,  the  Revs.  James  Cameron  and  Ralph  Stott, 
threw  themselves  with  more  than  youthful  fervor  into  the 
movement.  The  former,  with  true  Scotch  caution,  waited 
at  first,  almost  with  hesitancy,  to  see  how  things  were  going, 
but  before  long  he  joined  heart  and  soul  with  the  '  Revival 
Preacher.'  His  youngest  son  was  converted,  and  entered 
the  ministry  four  years  later.  Men  and  women,  adults  and 
children,  alike  yielded  to  the  same  mighty  influence.  Over 
one  hundred  persons  professed  to  find  salvation  and  joined 
the  Methodist  communion. 

"The  work  of  conversion  went  on  for  months  after  Mr. 
Taylor  left.  A  new  era  dawned  upon  the  Methodism  of  the 
colony. 

"  From  Durban  Mr.  Taylor  proceeded  to  Verulam.      Here 


C'4 


o 


23 


In  Darkest  Africa  355 

this  glorious  work  may  be  said  to  have  cuhninatcd.  The 
field,  though  small,  was  '  white  already  unto  harvest.' 
Earnest  prayer  and  zealous  toil  had  been  long  going  on,  and 
the  spirit  of  holy  expectation  was  now  raised  to  the  highest 
point.  '  The  fire  of  the  Lord  fell,'  the  Holy  Ghost  de- 
scended with  overwhelming  power.  People  gathered  from 
distant  places  to  see  and  hear  'the  wonderful  works  of 
God.'  In  that  small  and  scattered  population  about  one 
hundred  and  twenty  persons  obtained  saving  benefit  from 
the  services.  '  The  voice  of  rejoicing  and  salvation  '  was 
heard  on  every  side,  for  '  the  right  hand  of  the  Lord  did 
valiantly.'  The  memory  of  those  days  of  grace  is  still  vivid 
and  precious,  nor  will  it  ever  pass  away. 

"  Reference  has  so  far  been  made  only  to  the  work  carried 
on  among  the  white  people  of  the  colony;  but  the  natives 
were  not  neglected.  Rev.  Charles  Pamla,  who  had  just  been 
received  into  the  native  ministry,  accompanied  the  evangelist 
as  interpreter.  It  was  at  Edendale  that  the  most  remarka- 
ble wa)rk  took  place.  Mr.  Taylor  could  only  visit  the  station 
for  a  few  minutes  one  day,  give  a  short  address,  and  sing 
'  The  Eden  Above.'  Mr.  Pamla  conducted  a  few  services 
there  afterward.  When  the  evangelists  were  gone  the  work 
began  to  deepen  and  spread.  At  one  time  it  seemed  as  if 
the  whole  station  would  be  converted.  Zealous  preachers 
carried  the  glad  tidings  to  heathen  kraals  in  the  Zwaartkop 
location,  which  up  to  that  date  had  been  rarely  visited. 
What  was  more  important  than  anything  else,  our  native 
preachers  and  leaders  learned  the  sacred  art  of  evantrelizino" 
if  one  may  call  it  so,  and  henceforth  knew  how  to  conduct 
revival  meetings  with  vigor,  judgment,  and  blessed  effect. 

"The  least  advantage  of  this  glorious  movement  was  the 
numerical  increase  to  which  it  immediately  led.  Every  in- 
terest and  agency  in  the  Church  was  strengthened.  The 
foundations  of  religious  life  and  work  were  laid  or  relaid  or 
broatlened,  on  which  could  rest  the  superstructure  of  a  more 
vigorous  Christian  character  and  of  more  useful  service  in 
the   kingdom  of  God.     Some  who  had  never  before  seen  a 


356 


The  Flaming  Torch 


revival,  except  it  may  be  in  a  very  limited  form,  learned  how 
to  take  part  in  such  movements  and  to  expect  them. 

"  Looking  back  upon  the  thirty-two  years  which  have 
elapsed  since  the  now  venerable  Bishop  Taylor  visited  South 
Africa,  we  are  able  to  judge  of  the  effect  of  his  work.  I  had 
been  over  ten  years  in  the  country  when  he  arrived,  and  was 
familiar  with  English  and  native  work.  Great  advances  have 
been  made  in  both  since  that  date,  in  the  native  work  espe- 
cially. After  a  long  period  of  discouragement  the  way  be- 
gan to  open  for  a  wider  diffusion  of  the  Gospel  among  the 
heathen.  Just  then,  by  divine  arrangement,  as  we  fully 
believe,  William  Taylor  came,  'a  man  full  of  faith  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.'  He  showed  by  word  and  deed  how  the 
work  of  God  could  be  carried  on  with  greater  effect  than 
before. 

"  A  great  advance  has  been  made  in  South  African  Metho- 
dism during  the  intervening  years.  An  affiliated  Conference 
was  formed  in  1882,  including  all  the  districts  except  the 
Transvaal.  The  following  statistics  will  serve  to  indicate 
one  form  of  progress  : 

Statistics  of  Methodism  in  South  Africa. 


Year. 


1865. 
18S2. 


1S97 

Transvaal,  etc 

Total  for  1S97 


Full 

Church 

Memliers, 


On 
Trial 


19.591 

47,872 
7,945 


1,235 
7,671 

21,448 
3,111 


Junior  Total  in 

Society     ;     Church 
Classes.      F'ellovvship. 


10,692 


9,566 
27,262 

So,OI2 

11,056 


gi,o68 


"Of  these  about  7,500  are  Europeans,  chiefly  English. 
Those  of  mixed  race  may  amount  to  about  4,500.  It  will 
thus  be  seen  that  79,000  pure-blooded  Africans  have  in  this 
section  of  the  continent  been  brought  under  the  saving  in- 
fluence of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  Great  numbers  of  them 
have  been  actually  saved,  and  are  walking  in  the  light  of 
God. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


357 


•'There  has  been  a  corresponding^  increase  in  other 
brandies  of  the  work.  Tiie  number  of  European  ministers 
in  the  South  ^Vfrican  Conference  is  115;  of  native,  76. 
There  are  also  161  native  evangehsts,  2,721  h)cal  preachers, 
and  3,564  ckiss  leaders. 

"I  will  add  but  a  few  words  more.  What  became  of  the 
great  host  of  converts  gathered  in  1866?  Some  fell  away, 
but  the  great  majority  remained  steadfast.  IVIany  have  gone 
to  the  '  Eden  above,*  about  which  they  had  learned  to  sing. 
Others  continued  to  hold  after  all  tliese  years  positions  of 
trust  and  usefulness  in  the  Church." 


fs-: 


Port  Durban,   Natal 


358 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

Increase  of  the  Advancingf  Host 

I  HERE  have  been  many  and  varied 
agencies  employed  in  the  Christianiza- 
tion  of  South  Africa,  and  vast  are  the 
aggregate  achievements.  The  labors 
of  different  societies  have  oft  been  in- 
terwoven and  not  infrequently  trans- 
ferred from  one  to  another  ;  therefore 
no  special  meed  of  praise  is  intended 
or  more  than  a  brief  outline  attempted. 
The  Paris  Society  has  found  its  most 
productive  field  in  Basutoland,  where 
they  commenced  operations  under  what 
they  recognized  as  a  special  call  of  God 
in  1833.  A  Basuto  chief  had  made  his  way  to  a  trading  post 
for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  a  gun,  and  received  from  the 
trader  the  news  of  a  people  who  had  come  into  the  country, 
not  to  spread  desolation  and  death,  but  to  bring  the  glad 
tidings  of  life.  He  sent  an  embassy  to  the  French  mission- 
aries, who  had  been  driven  out  of  the  colony  and  across  the 
Orange  River,  and  who  gladly  proceeded  to  the  "  great 
place"  of  the  chief,  and  Morijah  became  a  refuge  for  Chris- 
tians from  all  parts.  It  passed  through  many  vicissitudes, 
principally  on  account  of  native  wars  ;  but  after  Basutoland 
became  a  crown  colony  their  mission  was  firmly  established 
and  extended  to  ten  substations,  enrolling  now  upward  of 
ten  thousand  native  Christians.  Their  work  at  Wellington, 
for  fifty  years  prosperously  developed  under  their  pioneer 
missionar}',  Bisseux,  was  transferred  to  the  Dutch  Church 
of  the  Cape. 

Among  the  Hottentot  tribes  that  were  gradually  forced  by 
their  warlike  neighbors  to  find  a  home  north  of  Cape  Colony 


In  Darkest  Africa  359 

were  the  Namaquas.  They  gave  the  name  to  the  territory 
they  settled,  the  soil  of  which  being  sterile,  they  took 
to  hunting,  and  became  nomadic.  Having  brought  fire- 
arms with  them,  when  game  became  scarce  they  pushed 
northward  in  successful  robber  raids  among  their  near 
neighbors,  the  Hereros,  who  possessed  abundance  of  cattle 
and  no  firearms.  When  the  Hereros  secured  firearms  they 
retaliated  on  the  Namaquas,  and  for  years  a  tribal  war 
was  maintained.  In  the  midst  of  this  state  of  disquietude, 
with  the  additional  obstacle  of  one  of  the  most  difficult 
languages  in  South  Africa,  German  missions,  under  the 
Rhenish  Society,  were  introduced,  and  five  of  their  stations 
in  these  two  tribes  have  survived  and  prospered.  Travel- 
ing northward  from  the  Cape,  the  Hereros  are  the  first  real 
Negro  tribe  encountered.  They  are  extensively  engaged  in 
the  dairy  business,  the  milk  of  their  cows  being  their  chief 
food.  They  are  not  as  apt  scholars  as  many  of  their  race, 
are  slow  to  surrender  the  form  of  their  national  religion, 
but  on  becoming  converts  to  Christianity  are  very  firm  ad- 
herents. The  Germans  are  the  only  occupants  of  this  terri- 
tory, their  base  of  operations  being  Walfisch  Bay,  the  only 
port  of  entry  to  Namaqualand. 

The  principal,  if  not  the  only  prosperous  missions  of  the 
Berlin  Society,  are  in  South  Africa,  where  its  first  missiona- 
ries were  sent  in  1834,  their  objective  point  being  Bechu- 
analand  ;  but  the  way  being  closed  in  that  direction  they 
founded  missions  in  the  Orange  Free  State.  The  first 
twenty-five  years  witnessed  a  hard  struggle  for  existence, 
chiefly  because  of  governmental  disturbances,  but  the  work 
finally  spread  from  Bethany,  the  central  point,  to  Kimberley 
and  Beaconsfield,  the  native  location  of  that  diamond  field. 
They  opened  Bethel  in  Kaffraria,  but  their  work  in  that  ter- 
ritory did  not  grow  to  large  proportions,  and  the  stations  in 
Natal  are  small.  Their  chief  field  is  the  Transvaal,  which 
they  entered  in  i860.  The  first  station,  Gerlachshoop,  was 
destroyed  and  its  people  scattered  by  tribal  wars,  as  was 
also  Khatlolu   in  1864.     The  following  year   their  principal 


360  The  Flaming  Torch 

station  was  opened,  Botschabelo,  since  when  a  degree  of 
prosperity  has  attended  their  labors,  a  number  of  their  sta- 
tions being  entirely  self-supporting.  As  one  indication  of 
the  prosperity  of  this  branch  of  the  work  carried  on  by  the 
German  societies,  they  have  over  ten  thousand  communi- 
cants. 

The  Germ.an  society  remaining  to  be  mentioned,  the 
Hermannsburg,  is  of  special  interest  because  of  its  unique 
methods.  This  Lutheran  branch  grew  from  the  labors  of 
one  man,  Pastor  Louis  Harms,  who  devoted  his  life  to  the 
peasantry  in  the  kingdom  of  Hanover,  whom  he  inspired 
with  such  missionary  zeal  that  a  society  was  formed  to 
carry  the  Gospel  to  the  heathen.  No  funds  were  solicited, 
yet  the  true  Christian  spirit  of  his  parishioners  led  not  only 
to  abundant  freewill  offerings  to  the  work,  but  also  to  the 
offer  of  themselves.  They  were  simple  peasants,  gifted  only 
in  spiritual  life  and  its  fruits  and  in  industrial  and  mechan- 
ical skill.  They  founded  a  training  school  for  missionaries, 
embracing  in  a  six  years'  course  only  what  would  be  of 
practical  utility  in  the  introduction  of  Christian  civilization 
among  heathen  tribes.  The  plan  of  operations  was  not 
only  to  compass  the  conversion  of  individuals,  but  to  infuse 
into  heathenism  the  lessons  of  Christianity  along  all  practi- 
cal lines. 

The  first  expedition  of  their  colonization  scheme  was 
directed  to  the  country  of  the  Gallas,  East  Africa;  but  in- 
surmountable difficulties  awaited  them,  their  ship  was  turned 
back  to  the  south,  and  the  colony  settled  on  the  north- 
ern borders  of  Natal,  founding  Hermannsburg  in  1853. 
Here,  and  as  they  pressed  northward  into  Zululand,  the 
"community  colony"  was  tested,  and  for  a  time  seemed 
successful.  Each  labored  for  the  common  good,  and  none 
called  that  which  he  possessed  his  own,  clergy  and  colonists 
all  being  on  equal  terms.  This  did  not  long  continue  with 
happy  results  ;  the  latter  accused  the  former  of  failure  to 
assume  an  equal  share  of  the  burdens  of  life,  and,  what  was 
possible  in  a  community  of  unmarried  men  —  and  only  such 


In  Darkest  Africa  361 

were  sent  out — was  found  impracticable  when  their  brides 
arrived  from  the  fatherland.  The  ladies  elected  to  have 
their  own  households  and  belonginos,  and  as  usual  won  the 
day. 

From  the  start  self-support  was  partly  achieved,  and  its 
introduction  proved  a  greater  blessing  to  the  natives,  in  the 
acquirement  of  a  knowledge  of  the  mechanical  arts  and  the 
development  of  noble,  independent  character,  than  could  be 
measured  by  the  monetary  advantages. 

Their  most  encouraging  work  had  been  among  the 
Bechuanas,  whither  they  carried  their  methods,  save  the 
colonization  scheme,  in  1858,  in  answer  to  a  call  from  a 
Bechuana  king.  Gradually  the  work  extended  across  the 
South  African  Republic  and  into  British  Bechuanaland, 
where  its  missions  were  transferred  to  the  London  Society. 
Their  central  stations  are  Pretoria,  Bethany,  and  Sharon, 
and  their  communicants  number  ten  thousand. 

The  first  mission  to  the  Zulus  was  sent  out  by  the  Amer- 
ican Board  in  1835.  Two  expeditions,  consisting  each  of 
three  missionaries  and  their  wives,  were  organized  and 
equipped.  One  party  undertook  the  establishment  of  a 
mission  in  Natal,  where  Chief  Dingaan  received  them  kindly, 
schools  were  opened,  and  a  printing  press  introduced. 

The  other  missionary  party  had  an  opportunity  to  see  a 
wide  scope  of  heathen  Africa.  They  "  embarked  "  in  Dutch 
wagons  and  trekked  a  thousand  miles  to  the  country  of 
Mosilikatzi.  The  wars  of  this  savage  chief  were  so  fierce 
and  frequent  the  station  at  Mosika  was  broken  up,  and  the 
missionaries  rejoined  their  brethren  in  Natal,  after  a  return 
journey  of  thirteen  hundred  miles,  by  way  of  the  Drak- 
enberg  Mountains. 

The  usual  war  disturbances  of  these  turbulent  tribes 
caused  the  withdrawal  of  some  of  their  missionaries.  After 
the  overthrow  of  Dingaan,  his  successor.  Panda,  favored 
their  efforts  for  a  time,  but  becoming  suspicious  he  put 
to  death  many  who  had  manifested  a  desire  to  become 
Christians. 


362 


The  Flaming  Torch 


In  these  dark  days  frequent  disasters  led  the  American 
Board  to  order  the  withdrawal  of  the  missions,  but  before 
their  instructions  arrived  in  Natal  it  had  become  a  British 
colony,  and  the  faithful  missionaries  labored  on  with 
brighter  prospects.  They  were  strongly  reinforced  from 
America ;  churches  were  organized,  new  stations  opened, 
and  the  work  extended  along  all  lines. 

As  a  part  of  this  enlargement  a  plan  was  formed  to  open 


In  the  Baobab  Forest 


a  mission  in  Umzila's  country,  about  five  hundred  miles 
north,  among  a  people  who  speak  the  Zulu  language.  The 
first  ambassador,  Mr.  Pinkerton,  fell  by  the  w^ay,  a  victim  of 
fever.  Erwin  II.  Richards  was  then  detached  for  the  peril- 
ous undertaking,  and  after  encountering  and  overcoming 
many  difficulties  arrived  at  the  "great  place"  of  Umzila. 
He  found  the  old  king  seated  on  the  ground,  and  when 
offered  a  robe  he  said,  "The  earth  is  accustomed  to  have  me 
sit  upon  it."     He  showed  much  kindness  to  the   messenger 


In  Darkest  Africa  363 

of  peace,  asking  many  questions  concerning  the  white  man's 
"  Book,"  and  pushed  aside  all  other  gifts  with  which  he  w.is 
presented  to  eagerly  take  an  old  and  worn  copy  of  the  New 
Testament,  and  when  he  died  this  same  little  volume  was 
found  bound  to  his  neck.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
Gungunyana,  and  the  way  was  not  open  for  a  mission  set- 
tlement in  his  country.  With  the  assistance  of  an  educated 
Zulu  woman,  Erwin  H.  Richards  completed  the  translation 
of  the  New  Testament  into  the  Tonga  tongue,  and  all  but  the 
Book  of  Revelation  was  printed  on  the  mission  press.  The 
Zulu  churches  under  the  American  Board  now  number 
twenty-two,  with  a  total  membership  of  over  two  thousand. 

The  Zulu  abode  is  quite  general  throughout  heathen 
South  Africa.  A  kraal  is  a  circle  of  huts  inclosing  a  cattle 
compound,  from  which  they  are  sei)arated  by  a  thorn  fence 
eight  or  ten  feet  in  height,  a  similar  one,  but  higher,  inclos- 
ing the  entire  settlement.  There  is  a  hut  for  each  wife  of 
the  chief  or  headman,  who  are  simply  his  slaves.  These 
huts  consist  of  a  strong  roof  of  wattles,  drawn  together  at 
the  top  and  firmly  secured  by  monkey  vines,  supported  by 
horizontal  poles  resting  on  posts.  The  grass  thatch  is  kept 
in  place  by  willowy  rods,  sharpened  at  both  ends  to  pene- 
trate the  network  of  wattles.  The  roof  is  quite  frequently 
ornamented  by  skulls  and  bones  of  animals.  They  are  per- 
fectly water-tight,  and  so  strongly  built  as  not  to  be  easily 
demolished. 

The  Zulus  commonly  build  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  so  that  in 
time  of  heavy  rains  the  water  wm'11  not  settle  near  them  or 
enter  the  corn  pits.  These  are  jar-shaped,  having  a  depth 
of  about  six  feet,  and  in  them  are  stored  Indian  corn,  beans, 
etc.,  to  protect  them  from  the  white  ants  and  hide  them 
from  their  enemies.  Sunk  in  the  cattle  compound,  covered 
with  the  refuse  of  the  herd,  there  is  no  intimation  of  their 
location.  In  the  Zulu  wars  the  British  soldiers  finally 
learned  to  di*^'  <ver  them  by  tapping  on  the  ground  with 
their  gun  rods,  a  hiollow  sound  indicating  a  corn  pit. 

The   entrance   to   these  Zulu   dwellines  is  so  low  that  of 


364  The  Flaming  Torch 

necessity  you  make  your  bow  by  entering  on  "  all  fours." 
When  the  eyes  become  accustomed  to  the  smoky  interior 
the  floor  presents  the  appearance  of  polished  ebony.  The 
Zulu  women  have  taken  the  walls  of  the  houses  of  the  in- 
dustrious ants  to  carpet  their  own.  The  clay  is  put  through 
a  process  of  manipulation,  pounded  hard,  smeared  with 
the  fresh  droppings  in  the  cattle  pen,  and  polished  with 
smooth  stones  until  it  gives  back  a  mirrorlike  reflection. 
The  stove  is  a  saucerlike  excavation  in  the  center,  around 
which  they  sleep  on  grass  mats,  with  their  feet  toward  the 
fire  in  cool  weather  and  their  heads  resting  on  little  stools 
to  preserve  their  carefully  prepared  headdresses. 

The  household  articles  are  usually  confined  to  native-made 
earthen  pots  and  the  old  stone  mill  of  patriarchal  days,  a 
hollow  in  the  heavy  "  nether  stone,"  in  which  the  grain  is 
crushed  by  the  small,  oval,  upper  stone. 

Natal  has  become  a  civilized  territory,  although  in  some 
places  the  old  heathenism  still  crops  out.  But  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Gospel  has  reconstructed  the  hearts  and  man- 
ner of  life  of  the  people.  Houses  have  taken  the  place  of 
kraals,  and  these  have  been  grouped  into  villages,  the 
inhabitants  of  which  are  respectably  clothed,  and  the  old 
practices  of  polygamy  and  witchcraft,  dissension  and  tribal 
wars  have  retreated  before  the  oncoming  Prince  of  Peace. 

Among  the  younger  and  yet  most  prosperous  Christian 
agencies  at  work  in  the  British  possessions  is  the  South 
Africa  General  Mission.  Under  the  personal  care  of  its 
founder,  the  Rev.  W.  Spencer  Walton,  it  has  continually 
enlarged  from  a  small  beginning  in  March,  1889.  One 
feature  of  its  providential  opening  was  the  formation  of  an 
advisory  committee  of  Christian  merchants  in  London,  and 
another  the  acceptance  of  the  presidency  of  this  interdenom- 
inational movement  by  the  Rev.  Andrew  Murray,  for  many 
years  one  of  the  foremost  leaders  of  Christian  thought  and 
activity  in  South  Africa.  During  my  series  of  special 
services  in  the  colony  in  1866  I  first  made  his  acquaintance, 
an   occasion  to  which   he   reverted  publicly  in  London  and 


In  Darkest  Africa 


365 


New  York  as  the  period  when  he  entered  into  the  manhood 
of  Christian  Hfe  which  lie  has  so  ably  exercised  in  a  vast 
variety  of  Christian  activities. 

Conimencint^   \\ith   Cape  Town   as   a  base   of  operations 
this  mission  has  in  less  than  ten  years  advanced  successively 


Unchristianizeci   Ponao   'wome:i 

to  purely  native  work  in  Swazicland,  the  evangelization  of 
the  conglomerate  tribes  in  the  Kimberlc}'  compounds,  cen- 
tral missions  in  Pretoria  and  Johannesburg,  an  increasing 
number  of  prosperous  stations  in  Pondoland,  and  the  ab- 
sorption of  the  important  work  begun  by  the  Southeast  Afri- 


366  The  Flaming  Torch 

can  Mission  in  Natal  and  Zululand.  In  the  latter  districts 
not  only  have  they  a  population  of  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  Zulus  to  work  among,  but  also  the  more  than  fifty 
thousand  imported  laborers  from  various  districts  of  India 
employed  on  the  tea  and  sugar  plantations. 

Perhaps  one  of  their  most  interesting  fields  is  Swazieland. 
The  father  and  founder  of  the  mission  was  graciously  re- 
ceived by  the  queen  of  the  Swazies,  who,  like  the  famed 
Matebele,  are  a  branch  of  the  Zulu  tribe,  of  nobler  charac- 
ter and  finer  physique  than  the  majority  of  the  South  Afri- 
can tribes.  On  the  opening  of  the  mission  among  them 
about  a  thousand  flocked  into  the  station  in  their  war  dress 
of  blue  monkey  and  leopard  skins,  fully  armed  with  asse- 
gais, knob-kerries,  oxhide  shields,  and  battle-axes. 

Although  many  have  been  brought  into  the  light  of  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  a  great  deal  of  cruelty  is  still  prac- 
ticed. One  of  many  cases  that  came  to  the  personal  attention 
of  Mr.  Walton  after  crossing  the  Umtata  was  the  result  of  a 
witch  doctor's  visit.  A  child  was  sick  ;  an  innocent  man,  who 
chanced  to  possess  a  greater  number  of  cattle  than  his 
neighbors,  was  "  smelled  out  "  by  this  agent  of  the  devil  and 
accused  of  bewitching  the  child,  and  he  was  tortured  to 
exact  a  confession.  In  the  midst  of  it,  while  his  tormentors 
were  sleeping  off  the  effects  of  eating  half-cooked  pork,  he 
escaped,  crawling  on  his  hands  and  knees  for  three  miles, 
and  when  the  missionaries  found  him  he  had  four  wounds 
from  assegai  stabs,  one  penetrating  his  right  lung,  his  scalp 
cut  through  in  three  places,  and  his  stomach  burned  by  hot 
cinders  thrown  upon  him,  while  bound,  by  his  tormentors. 
These,  and  the  more  noble  Basutos  of  the  Transvaal,  are  be- 
ing led  into  the  light  of  the  Gospel  by  this  society,  which  now 
has  more  than  one  hundred  missionaries  actively  engaged. 

"  The  Zambesi  Industrial  Mission  "  has  made  a  financial 
demonstration  of  the  principle  of  self-support  on  the  Shire 
Highlands.  It  is  in  the  list  of  operations  still,  in  point  of 
time,  in  their  infancy,  but  in  six  years  has  not  only  become 
self-supporting,  but  in  a  measure  self-propagating. 


In   Darkest  Africa  367 

Its  pioneer  and  founder,  the  Rev.  Josepii  Boothe,  on  his 
individual  responsibility,  made  a  tour  of  observation  along 
the  coast  from  the  Cape  to  the  Zambesi  and  the  Upper 
Sliire  to  Nyassa,  having  in  view  the  specific  object  of  dis- 
covering the  location  most  suitable  for  an  industrial  mission. 
He  had  a  practical  demonstration  of  the  success  of  coffee 
growing  from  the  experience  of  a  firm  of  planters  who  un- 
dertook it  practically  without  capital,  and  in  a  few  years 
were  ex[)orting  one  hundred  tons  annu.iUy,  and  of  such 
superior  quality  that  their  gross  receipts  amounted  to 
iJ"  10,000  sterling.  He  decided  to  utilize  the  same  methods 
in  laying  the  foundations  of  a  line  of  mission  stations  that 
would  early  become  financially  independent. 

To  lose  no  time  in  making  a  beginning  Boothe  converted 
his  personal  outfit  of  guns,  blankets,  and  even  food,  into 
cash,  and  with  the  ;i{^40  thus  realized  he  purchased  coffee 
and  planted  the  seed  for  half  a  million  plants.  He  found 
no  difficulty  in  securing  a  large  tract  of  land  from  the  gov- 
ernment, wisely  selected  for  his  purpose,  and  having  thus 
set  a  million  seeds  to  work  in  the  rich  soil  he  sailed  for 
England  to  procure  the  capital  to  develop  his  "plant." 

His  practical  presentation  of  his  scheme  resulted  in  his 
raising  i^20,ooo  in  cash  for  the  enterprise,  and  with  a  band 
of  consecrated  volunteers  he  journeyed  back  to  his  coffee 
nursery.  In  three  years  the  maiden  coffee  appears,  develop- 
ing much  more  rapidly  here  than  on  the  West  Coast,  and  the 
first  crop  paid  the  initial  expense  and  cultivation,  including 
lands,  labor,  and  seed. 

In  the  selection  of  men  a  wide  scope  has  been  allowed,  in- 
cluding good  men  who  are  traders,  artisans,  teachers,  and 
evangelists,  the  idea  being  to  have  as  great  a  variety  of 
talent  as  can  find  practical  employment  on  the  field.  None 
draws  any  salary,  the  aggregate  profits  being  expended  in 
the  purchase  and  seeding  of  more  land.  The  missionaries, 
clerical  and  lay,  number  over  thirty,  and  the  land  area  pos- 
sessed one  hundred  thousand  acres. 


368 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  XXX 

Scotch  Missions  and  Methods 

HILE  Scotland  has  furnished  some  of 
the  greatest  heroes  of  African  travel 
and  exploration,  so  that  land  of 
stanch  religious  principles  and  per- 
severing endeavor  in  welldoing  has 
sent  forth  some  of  the  most  success- 
ful missionaries  into  a  land  that  re- 
quires quite  as  much  of  plodding 
determination  as  of  brilliant  talents. 
Although  not  all  of  them  are  as  well  known  to  the  world  as 
David  Livingstone,  there  have  been  very  many  missionaries 
who  have  not  been  less  noble  in  self-sacrificing  devotion  to 
the  spiritual  liberation  of  enslaved  Africa. 

Scotland  might  well  rear  the  pillar  of  the  immortal  fame  she 
has  founded  in  Africa  on  four  names  ;  that  of  Peter  Greig,  the 
first  missionary  to  West  Africa  a  century  ago,  who  was  mar- 
tyred by  the  Tussoo  robbers  whom  he  had  befriended  ;  David 
Livingstone;  General  Gordon,  in  the  Soudan;  and  Alexander 
Mackay,  of  Uganda. 

Next  to  the  mission  sent  into  the  Tussoo  country,  inland 
from  the  rescued  slave  colony  of  Sierra  Leone,  which  was 
founded  by  the  father  of  Lord  Macaulay,  on  the  model  of 
which  many  years  later  Liberia  was  founded,  came  the  mis- 
sion to  Southeast  Africa  in  1821.  The  romance  in  real  life 
history  of  that  Kaffir  mission  would  fill  several  interesting 
volumes.  It  has  passed  through  the  vicissitudes  incident  to 
seven  w^ars  in  seventy  years,  suffered  what  seemed  to  be 
utter  extermination  at  some  points,  but  so  deeply  had  it 
taken  root,  and  so  great  its  spiritual  vitality  and  the  death- 
less faith  and  consecration  of  its  missionary  heroes  and  hero- 
ines, that  it  has  filled  the  land  with  churches  and  Christian 


In  Darkest  Africa 


369 


communities.  Lovedale  has  been  made  one  of  the  greatest 
centers  of  missionary  influence  in  the  world.  Seven  hun- 
dred miles  northeast  of  Cape  Town,  in  a  beautiful  valley, 
William  Govan  opened  a  missionary  training  school  here  in 
1 841.  He  gave  it  the  name  of  Dr.  Love,  the  first  secretary 
of  the  Glasgow  Society. 

To  educate  young  men  for  the  ministry,  train  young  men 


Native  Dwelling  on  an  Ant-hill 


and  women  for  teachers  in  the  native  schools,  and  impart  a 
thorough  industrial  education,  were  the  aims  of  the  institu- 
tion, and  in  their  accomplishment  its  helpful  influence  has 
furthered  every  missionary  endeavor  of  the  societies  of 
every  name,  from  the  Cape  to  the  great  lakes.  For  within 
its  walls  have  ever  been  welcomed  the  adherents  of  every 

denomination  on   a  platform  so  broad  that  all  felt  at  home, 
24 


370  The  Flaming  Torch 

and  }'et  so  thoroughly  Christian  in  spirit  and  practice  that 
the  unsaved  among  its  students  were  converted  to  God,  and 
all  received  the  spiritual  uplift  inevitable  in  such  an  atmos- 
phere. 

For  many  years  Lovedale  Institution  has  been  under  the 
direction  of  Dr.  Stewart,  under  whose  holy  life  its  spiritual 
interests  have  been  kept  at  flood  tide,  and  by  whose  wise 
business  administration  the  institution  has  arrived  within 
twenty-five  per  cent  of  entire  self-support.  Along  the  lines 
of  a  thorough  English  education,  theological  training,  and 
industrial  instruction  it  has  developed  into  a  native  college. 
The  industrial  department,  exceedingly  important  to  all 
missionary  movements  in  heathen  countries,  is  thoroughly 
equipped  for  instruction  in  such  useful  arts  as  wagon  and 
house  building,  blacksmithing,  printing,  bookbinding,  teleg- 
raphy, and  agriculture. 

All  colors  and  nearly  all  tribes  of  South  Africa  have  been 
represented  in  this  institution, more  than  a  thousand  of  whom 
have  gone  forth  as  native  pastors,  teachers,  interpreters,  and 
industrial  producers  for  the  Christian  civilization  of  darkest 
Africa. 

It  was  after  more  than  half  a  century  of  marvelous  prog- 
ress and  wonderful  spiritual  success  among  the  Zulu  tribes 
that  the  heart  of  Scotland  was  stirred  by  the  appeals  of 
David  Livingstone,  and  fired  to  action  by  his  death  upon 
his  knees  in  the  African  forest  and  burial  in  Westminster 
Abbey,  and  the  Livingstone  Mission  was  the  outcome.  The 
united  Scottish  enthusiasm  was  directed  by  the  greatest 
missionary  of  his  time,  Alexander  Duff.  As  early  as  i86i 
James  Stewart,  now  of  Lovedale  Institution,  then  a  student 
of  Edinburgh,  volunteered  to  open  a  mission  in  the  Nyassa 
region,  rediscovered  by  Livingstone,  joined  the  great  ex- 
plorer on  the  lower  Zambesi,  and  after  the  death  of  Mrs. 
Livingstone,  at  Shupanga,  with  him  explored  Lake  Nyassa. 
Meanwhile  Charles  Frederic  Mackenzie,  Bishop  of  the 
Church  of  England,  who  had  accepted  Livingstone's  in- 
vitation  to  open    a  mission  on  the   Shire    Highlands,  since 


5 


In  Darkest  Africa  373 

occupied  by  the  Church  of  Scotland,  died  a  martyr  to  the 
climate,  and  the  first  Universities  Mission  ceased. 

It  was  in  1875  that  the  joint  missions  of  the  Churches  of 
Scotland  were  established  in  the  lake  and  river  region  now 
known  as  British  Central  Africa.  It  has  reduced  to  writing 
the  eight  vernacular  languages  of  the  tribes  of  the  uplands 
and  Lake  Nyassa,  into  which  have  been  translated  the  New 
Testament  in  whole  or  in  part,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  has 
blessed  its  teaching  and  preaching  to  the  salvation  of  many 
thousands  and  the  formation  of  native  churches,  the  mem- 
bers of  which  support  missionaries  to  their  countrymen. 
Thousands  of  native  children,  young  men  and  maidens, 
throng  school  buildings,  many  of  which  they  themselves 
constructed,  pay  for  the  books  they  use  and  tuition  fees  to 
their  instructors.  On  tliis  line  of  developing  self-supi)ort, 
the  vital  principle  for  African  missions,  the  workshops, 
under  godly  skilled  artisans,  are  laying  the  commercial 
foundation  of  Christian  communities  tliat  are  already  ex- 
tending into  a  Christian  empire,  a  country  the  length  of 
Scotland  itself  is  being  taken  for  Christ  by  the  missionaries 
she  has  sent  forth. 

The  Presbyterian  elders  who  conduct  the  Livingstone 
Mission  formed  the  African  Lakes  Company  in  1878  as  its 
necessary  adjunct.  This  was  not  a  mere  trading  venture, 
but  a  missionary  enterprise  to  assist  in  developing  the  re- 
sources of  these  districts,  introduce  a  commerce  that  would 
operate  against  the  slave  trade,  and  build  up  the  industries 
of  their  missions.  Beginning  with  small  capital  it  gradually 
extended,  placing  steamers  on  the  Zambesi  and  Shire  Rivers 
and  Lake  Nyassa,  doing  all  the  carrying  trade  for  the  four 
missionary  societies  of  that  region. 

In  the  Shire  Highlands  the  Established  Church  of  Scot- 
land has  expended  over  half  a  million  dollars  in  the  evcr- 
increasingly  successful  l^Iantyre  Mission.  Its  expanding 
operations  at  Blantyre,  Damasi,  and  Malange,  its  medical 
missionaries  and  Scotch  women  teachers  in  the  healthful 
climate  of  the  Sh\r6  Highlands,  have  laid  firm  foundations 


374  The  Flaming  Torch 

aheady  growing  into  a  temple  of  the  Lord.  It  has  built 
the  largest  church  in  central  Africa,  reduced  the  Manjanja 
and  Yao  languages  to  writing  and  translation,  and  young 
men  trained  in  their  mission  schools  are  teaching  many 
thousands  of  children  to  read  and  write  both  in  their  own 
language  and  in  English,  Their  elders  learn  and  teach  the 
dignity  of  labor  in  agriculture,  roadmaking,  brickmaking, 
carpentry,  and  other  trades.  Its  medical  missions  have 
superseded  the  horrible  practice  of  witchcraft,  while  the 
spiritual  transformations  wrought  in  many  thousands  of 
hearts  and  lives  find  illustration  in  the  smiling  wheat  fields, 
productive  maize  patches,  and  valuable  coffee  plantations, 
before  which  the  hitherto  unbroken  wilderness  has  fled 
away. 

The  second  English  Universities  Mission  has  long  worked 
harmoniously  side  by  side  in  Nyassaland  with  that  of  the 
Free  Church  of  Scotland,  from  Likomo,  an  island  in  the 
lake. 

In  1 891  Mr.  A.  L.  Bruce,  Livingstone's  son-in-law,  his 
nephew,  Mr.  Peter  Mackenzie,  and  nine  other  Scots  (three 
of  them  women)  founded  the  East  Africa  Scottish  Mis- 
sion, under  the  leadership  of  Dr.  James  Stewart,  lent  to 
them  for  the  purpose  by  the  Free  Church.  With  Dr.  Mof- 
fat, grandson  of  the  great  missionary  explorer,  and  a  party 
of  young  Scottish  missionaries,  he  established  a  mission 
at  Kilaneri,  on  the  high  plateau  between  Mombasa  and 
Uganda,  where  another  Lovedale  has  been  founded. 

The  plateaus  upon  which  these  missions  are  planted  form 
more  than  two  thirds  of  the  area  of  British  Central  Africa,  and 
at  an- altitude  of  six  thousand  feet  present  opportunity  for 
healthful  European  settlement.  For  half  of  the  year  the 
temperature  is  moderate,  and  at  no  season  is  it  oppressive. 
The  varying  altitudes  permit  of  the  cultivation  of  most  of 
the  products  of  temperate,  semitropical,  and  tropical  regions. 
The  water  supply  is  abundant,  and  the  country  is  endowed 
with  a  great  variety  of  beautiful  wild  flowers  and  flowering 
trees,  as  well  as  handsome  forest  timber. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


375 


CHAPTER    XXXI 

Abyssinia    and  Uganda 

iVNKING  in  many  respects  with  the 
great  missionaries,  explorers,  and 
Christian  philanthropists  who  have 
poured  out  life  and  treasure  upon  the 
altar  of  Africa's  redemption,  John 
Ludwig  Krapf  is  not  as  widely  known 
as  other  names.  His  labors  were  not 
unlike  those  of  David  Livingstone  in 
their  general  character,  and,  like  him,  he  died  on  his  knees 
praying  for  Africa. 

In  1830  he  was  with  Bishop  Gobat  in  the  Abyssinian 
Mission,  from  which  they  were  soon  driven.  In  1839  ^^^  at- 
tempted to  reenter  that  countr}'  from  the  south,  where  he 
was  kindly  received  by  the  King  of  Shoa,  who  then  con- 
trolled the  Abj'ssinian  highlands.  lie  accom.panied  the  king 
on  several  excursions  into  the  Galla  countr)-,  a  heathen  nation 
inhabiting  a  vast  extent  of  territory  extending  southward 
almost  as  far  as  Mombasa,  on  the  East  Coast. 

After  three  years  among  the  people  of  Shoa,  who  are  to 
a  large  extent  nominally  Christian,  their  fc^rm  of  worship 
being  similiar  to  that  of  the  Coptic  Church  in  Eg}'pt,  he  was 
again  driven   out. 

His  representations  to  the  Church  Missionary  Society 
determined  them  upon  the  extension  of  their  work  to  the 
East  Africa  Mission,  and  to  reach  the  Gallas  from  the  south, 
having  translated  the  Gospels  into  their  language,  he  sailed 
away  in  an  Arab  ship  and  landed  at  Mombasa.  Here  he  and 
his  family  were  prostrated  with  fever,  of  the  effects  of  which 
his  wife  and  child  died.  Close  to  the  parcel  of  earth  where 
he  laid  them  away  until  the  resurrection  morn  thirty  years 
later  a   mission   station   was    founded.     His  Arab  letter  of 


376  The  Flaming  Torch 

introduction   to   governor   and   people   commended   him   as 
"  a  good  man,  who  wishes  to  convert  the  world  to  God." 

In  1846  he  was  joined  by  John  Rebmann,  and  together  they 
made  the  series  of  journeys  of  exploration  that  led  to  the 
establishment  of  much  of  the  work  of  the  Church  Society  in 
East  Africa.  It  was  their  accounts  of  a  "great  inland  sea," 
described  to  them  by  tlie  natives,  that  led  to  the  discovery 
of  Tanganyika  and  Victoria  Nj-anza,  and  consequently  of 
Uganda.  Rebmann  was  the  first  white  man  who  beheld 
Mount  Kilima-Njaro,  and  Krapf  sighted  Mount  Kenia. 

Impelled  by  his  reports  the  Church  Society  sent  out  a 
party  of  missionaries  in  185  I,  all  of  whom  died  or  returned 
on  account  of  illness  ;  and  Krapf  himself  was  deserted  by  his 
native  followers  and  suffered  repeatedly  from  hunger  and 
thirst,  wild  beasts,  and  savage  tribes  before  he  finally  regained 
the  coast. 

Undaunted  by  perils,  he  again  journeyed  toward  central 
Africa,  and,  although  his  only  missionary  companion  soon 
died  of  the  effects  of  fever,  he  penetrated  far  into  Uganda, 
until  finally  deserted  by  his  native  servants  and  left  a  starv- 
ing fugitive  in  a  hostile  land.  After  extraordinary  adven- 
tures in  heathen  tribes  and  great  physical  suffering  he  again 
reached  the  coast.  After  returning  to  Abyssinia  to  open 
an  industrial  mission,  and  visiting  Usambara,  where  King 
Kimeri  received  him  kindly,  he  devoted  the  remainder  of  his 
life  (twice  revisiting  Africa  and  establishing  the  noted  "  Pil- 
grim Mission"  as  a  basis  for  the  chain  of  missions  to  enter 
Africa  from  the  north)  to  translating  the  Scriptures  into  East 
African  languages,  in  his  quiet  home  at  Kornthal,  in  Wur- 
temburg. 

On  the  return  of  Sir  Bartle  Frere  from  his  special  mission 
to  Zanzibar  for  the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade  he  urged  the 
Church  Society  to  establish  a  freed  slave  colony.  For  this 
purpose  they  called  Price  from  India,  where,  first  at  Bombay, 
and  afterward  removed  to  the  village  of  Sharampur,  he  had 
charge  of  a  colony  of  liberated  African  slaves  known  as  the 
"  Nasik  boys."     The  "  Nasik  boys  "  who  accompanied   Liv- 


In  Darkest  Africa 


377 


iiigstt)nc  oil  his  last  jouriic}',  and  displayed  such  heroic  devo- 
tion in  passing  through  many  dangers  to  bring  his  body  to 
the  coast,  were  trained  at  this  institution.  Price  brought 
one  hundred  and  fifty  of  his  boys  with  him  from  India  and 
founded  Frere  Town,  named  in  honor  of  Sir  Bartle,  close  to 
the  spot  where  Krapf  buried  his  wife  and  child.  Here,  and  at 
the  older  station  at  Kisulutini,  many  slaves  liberated  from 
slave  dhows  by  British  cruisers  were  gathered,  Christian- 
ized, and  instructed  in  agricultural  and  mechanical  pursuits. 


Rubaga,  the   Highest  City  in  Uganda 


Uganda  Mission  has  a  history  of  trials  and  triumphs 
unsurpassed  since  the  days  of  the  apostles.  Its  inception 
was  one  of  the  results  of  the  memorable  meeting  between 
David  Livingstone  and  Henry  IM.  Stanley  on  the  shores  of 
Lake  Tanganyika.  The  flames  of  zeal  that  were  consuming 
the  great  apostle  to  the  Africans  in  a  life  of  daily  self-sacri- 
fice fired  the  heart  of  his  God-appointed  successor,  who  not 
only  carried  forward  to  a  successful  issue  the  great  schemes 
of  exploration  in  Africa,  but  took  upon  himself  his  share  of 
responsibility  for  the  Christianization  of  the  Africans. 


378  The  Flaming  Torch 

When  he  was  able  to  report  from  the  capital  of  the  all- 
powerful  central  African  potentate  that  King  M'tesa  had  so 
far  renounced  the  prevailing  faith  of  Islam  as  to  cause  "  the 
Ten  Commandments  of  Moses  to  be  written  on  a  board  for 
his  daily  perusal,  as  well  as  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  the  golden 
commandment  of  our  Saviour,  '  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neigh- 
bor as  thyself,' "  he  wrote  to  the  journals  he  represented: 
"  O,  that  some  pious,  practical  missionary  would  come  here  ! 
It  is  not  the  mere  preacher,  however,  that  is  wanted.  It  is 
the  practical  Christian  tutor,  who  can  teach  the  people  how 
to  become  Christians,  cure  their  diseases,  construct  dwell- 
ings, understand  and  exemplify  agriculture,  and  turn  his 
hand  to  anything,  like  a  sailor — this  is  the  man  who  is 
wanted." 

The  missionary  opening  presenting  itself  on  the  occasion 
of  Stanley's  visit  to  M'tesa  was  marvelous.  He  found  that 
heathen  potentate  surrounded  by  about  two  hundred  wives, 
and  wielding  despotic  power  over  a  vast  extent  of  territory 
populated  by  uncounted  millions.  And  yet  he  asked 
Stanley  three  remarkable  questions.  The  first  was,  "  What 
do  you  know  about  angelic  beings  ?  "  After  listening  with 
evident  interest  to  what  the  Scriptures  reveal  concerning 
heavenly  beings,  their  pursuits  and  pleasures,  he  said,  "  Will 
you  convert  me  ?  I  want  to  be  converted."  When  the  na- 
ture of  the  new  birth  was  explained  and  the  necessity  of 
divine  power  for  its  accomplishment,  he  inquired,  "  Will 
you  send  missionaries  to  teach  my  people?" 

Mr.  Stanley  says,  "  My  letter  had  been  committed  to 
Colonel  Linant  de  Bellefords,  who,  with  his  entire  company 
of  thirty-six  Soudanese  soldiers,  was  murdered  by  the  Baris. 
Near  the  body  of  the  colonel  it  was  found  by  General  Gor- 
don, blood-stained  and  tattered,  and  forwarded  to  the 
coast." 

Eight  days  after  his  appeal  appeared  in  the  Daily  Tele- 
graph the  Church  Missionary  Society  received  a  gift  of 
;!^25,ooo  for  this  special  purpose,  the  fund  was  soon  increased 
to  ;^75,ooo,  and  in  the  following  March  a  party  of  eight  mis- 


In  Darkest  Africa 


379 


sionaries  was  dispatched  to  this  center  of  heathenism,  a 
thousand  miles  from  the  coast.  Sickness  and  death  soon 
reduced  the  number  to  four;  one  of  these  died  on  reaching 
the  southern  end  of  the  hike,  two  were  afterward  killed  in  a 
fight  arising  from  a  quarrel  between  tlie  King  of  Ukerewe 
and  an  Arab,  and  but  one  remained  in  Ujiji.  Although  their 
experiences  brought  out  to  more  prominent  view  the  dan- 
gers through  which  the  great  traveler  had  passed  before 
reaching  the  goal,  they  were  continually  reinforced. 

Among  those  early  to  arrive  was  Mackay,  a  name  that  will 
be  forever  associated  with  the  victories  of  this  mission  field. 


A  Home  in  Uganda 


Like  the  pioneer  Wilson,  he  was  at  one  time  the  sole  repre- 
sentative of  the  society  there,  but  he  patiently  went  on 
teaching,  preaching,  and,  with  his  practical  industrial  knowl- 
edge, instructing  the  lads  in  mechanical  pursuits. 

The  mission  passed  through  many  vicissitudes,  suffered 
the  loss  of  a  number  by  death,  and  endured  a  season  of  anx- 
ious struggle  during  the  presence  of  French  Romish  priests 
over  whose  teachings  the  country  was  divided.  At  the 
close  of  the  year  1879  M'tesa  was  influenced  by  a  sorceress 
and  publicly  prohibited  Christianity. 

Brif^hter  days  came  with  1 88 1,  and  the  work  of  teaching 
and  translating  made  rapid  i:)rogress.  In  March,  1882,  after 
five  years  of  patient   toil,  the  first   converts  were  baptized. 


380  The  Flaming  Torch 

In  1884  M'tesa  died,  and  the  cruel  M'wanga  began  a  bloody 
persecution.  Three  Christian  boys  were  the  first  native 
martyrs.  They  were  offered  life  if  they  would  return  to 
their  heathen  superstitions.  Remaining  steadfast  in  their 
faith,  they  were  taken  to  the  burning  funeral  pyre,  and  two 
of  them  were  dismembered  and  thrown  upon  it.  Again  the 
third  lad  was  given  opportunity  to  save  himself  by  surrender- 
ing his  faith,  with  the  alternative  of  the  horrible  death  he 
had  just  witnessed  his  companions  suffer.  He  replied, 
"You  do  not  know  whereof  you  speak.  If  Jesus  Christ 
died  for  me  it  is  a  small  thing  for  me  to  die  for  him  ;  "  and 
he  calmly  met  his  death. 

Even  in  the  midst  of  their  bitter  persecution  the  work 
progressed,  for  in  that  same  year  there  were  thirty-five  com- 
municants and  a  congregation  of  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
three. 

Bishop  Hannington,  who  had  already  made  one  journey 
to  Uganda,  arrived  by  a  new  route,  which  he  had  taken  in 
the  hope  that,  though  taking  him  through  the  territory  of 
the  fierce  Masai  and  the  treacherous  Wa-Kikuya,  it  would 
prove  more  healthful  than  the  old  route  where  he  had  so 
nearly  lost  his  life.  But  he  had  arrived  at  Kwa  Sundu,  near 
the  lake,  at  an  unpropitious  time,  owing  to  the  suspicions 
and  cruelty  of  M'wanga,  who  ordered  his  death. 

Of  the  fifty  carriers  who  accompanied  Bishop  Hannington 
only  four  escaped  to  tell  of  his  martyrdom.  He  had  been 
decoyed  away  from  his  men  by  an  Arab,  violently  dragged 
into  a  hut,  where,  during  the  eight  days  of  his  confinement 
he  continued  to  write  his  diary,  which  was  afterward  pur- 
chased by  a  Christian  lad  of  Uganda.  On  October  22,  1885, 
he  wrote,  "  In  a  fair-sized  hut,  but  with  no  ventilation, 
twenty  men  around  me,  and  rats  and  vermin  ad  lib.,  strained 
in  every  limb,  great  pain,  and  consumed  with  thirst."  His 
men  were  speared  to  death,  and  he  was  shot  with  his  own 
rifle.  His  last  words  to  his  friends  in  England,  scribbled  by 
the  light  of  some  camp  fire,  had  been  :  "  If  this  is  the  last 
chapter  of  my  earthly  history,  then  the  next  will  be  the  first 


In  Darkest  Africa  383 

page  of  the  heavenly — no  blots  and  smudges,  no  incoher- 
ence, but  sweet  converse  in  the  presence  of  the  Lamb." 

A  series  of  vicissitudes  continued  till  i888,  when  a  succes- 
sion of  political  revolutions  left  the  Mohammedan  Arabs  in 
possession,  and  the  remaining  missionaries  were  expelled 
from  the  country.  While  in  exile  at  Usagala  they  were  en- 
countered by  Stanley  en  his  return  march  after  penetrating 
the  recesses  of  darkest  Africa.  And  these  exiles  were  what 
he  saw  of  the  visible  fruits  of  his  invitation  to  the  Christian 
Church  to  send  messengers  of  peace  to  a  savage  nation  ! 
Was  he  discouraged?  No;  nor  the  Church  of  Christ.  In 
one  year  after  the  mission  was  resumed  the  native  Christians 
numbered  two  thousand. 

In  January,  1897,  the  Church  Missionary  Society  reported 
for  Uganda  23  ordained  ministers,  699  native  teachers,  6,905 
baptized  Christians,  2,591  communicants,  57,380  readers,  372 
churches,  and  a  cathedral  accommodating  3,000  worshipers. 

Of  these  marvelous  results  Mr.  Stanley  says: 

"  These  figures  do  not  represent  the  whole  of  what  has 
been  achieved  by  the  zealous  missionaries,  for  the  Church  of 
Uganda  imitates  the  example  of  the  parent  Church  in  Eng- 
land, and  dispatches  native  missionaries  to  all  the  countries 
round  about.  Nasa,  in  Usukuma,  south  of  Lake  Victoria, 
has  become  a  center  of  missionary  effort.  In  Usoga,  east  of 
the  Nile,  native  teachers  impart  instruction  at  nine  stations. 
Unyoro,  to  the  north  of  Ugrmda,  has  been  invaded  by  native 
propagandists.  Toro,  to  the  west,  has  been  so  moved  that 
it  promises  to  become  as  zealous  as  Uganda,  and  Koki  wit- 
nesses the  power  of  native  eloquence  and  devotion  to  the 
cause.  What  is  most  noticeable  among  all  these  people 
around  the  lake  is  their  avidity  for  instruction.  Every  scrap 
of  old  paper,  the  white  margins  of  newspapers,  the  backs  of 
envelopes,  and  parcel  wrappers  are  eagerly  secured  for  writ- 
ing purposes.  Books  and  stationery  find  ready  purchasers 
everywhere.  The  number  of  converts  has  become  so  formid- 
able that  it  would  task  the  powers  of  a  hundred  white  mis- 
sionaries to  organize,  develop,  and  supervise  them  properly." 


384 


The   Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

Triumphs  in  Madagascar 

HRISTIANITY  had  its  baptism  of 
blood  on  the  island  of  Madagascar. 
Once  more  it  was  demonstrated  that 
the  faith  of  God  is  the  same  in  all 
ages  of  the  world,  and  its  real  posses- 
sion in  any  degree  W'ill  give  victor)^ 
"though  sorrows  fall  like  rain,  and 
troubles  swarm  like  bees  about  to 
hive,"  and  enable  its  possessors  to 
endiu'e  the  fiercest  persecutions  even 
unto  death,  whatever  their  race  or  color. 

The  lights  and  shades  of  missionary  labors  in  Madagascar 
form  very  striking  contrasts.  When  they  were  begun  the 
darkness  was  absolute,  a  total  eclipse  save  for  the  universal 
revelation  of  God  to  the  soul,  who  they  clearly  "did  not 
like  to  retain  in  their  knowledge."  Added  to  the  depths 
of  heathen  degradation  resultant  from  an  indiscriminate 
mixture  of  the  lowest  class  of  natives  of  South  Africa,  first- 
known  inhabitants  of  the  island,  with  their  Malay-Polyne- 
sian conquerors,  Mas  the  introduction  of  Arab  craftiness 
and  the  demoralizing  influence  of  the  slave  trade.  Not  con- 
tent with  their  capture  on  the  mainland  and  purchase  and 
sale  with  the  leading  nations  of  the  world  then  engaged  in 
that  nefarious  traffic,  they  preyed  upon  and  enslaved  one 
another.  And  the  hopeless  bondage  to  which  they  doomed 
others  was  no  more  real  than  that  to  which  they  universally 
sold  themselves  in  every  excess  of  vice.  Virtue  was  un- 
known, it  was  represented  by  no  word  in  their  language, 
and  they  openly  professed  themselves  devoid  of  any  sense 
of  honesty  or  justice. 

Earlv  in  the  present  century  the  London  Missionary  So- 


In  Darkest  Africa 


385 


ciety  sent  ten  missionaries  and  their  families  to  this  dark  spot 
off  the  African  coast,  but  of  the  party  of  six  all  but  one  fell 
before  the  fever  of  the  coast ;  but  this  survivor,  several  times 
driven  away  by  disease,  returned,  was  kindly  received  by  the 
chiefs,  and  when  in  1820  the  paramount  chief.  King  Ra- 
dama,  accepted  a  treaty  with  the  British  government  he 
proceeded  to  the  c.ipital  with  their  representatives. 

The  society  immediately  sent  reinforcements,  the  party 
including  teachers  and  artisans  as  well  as  missionaries.  To 
reduce  the  language  to  manuscript  and  print  translations  of 
portions  of  the  Scriptures  and  other  books  was  the  first 
work  undertaken,  in  connection  with  teaching  the  children. 
Nearly  one  hundred  schools  were  established  in  Antanana- 
rivo and  its  \icinity,  and  before  1828  between  four  and  five 
thousand  pupils  of  both  sexes  received  an  elementary  edu- 
cation, while  instruction 
in  the  mechanical  arts  was 
made  an  important  fea- 
ture. 

A  short  period  of  inter- 
ruption immediately  fol- 
lowed the  death  of  Ra- 
dama,  and  when  work 
was  resumed  the  British 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society 
was  prepared  to  render 
valuable  aid  in  distribu- 
tion of  the  printed  word. 
The  wicked  Queen  Rana- 
valona,  who  succeeded 
him,  commenced  a  series 
of  persecutions  by  dismissing  a  number  of  missionaries  from 
the  kingdom,  but  in  a  lull  before  the  apprcxiching  storm 
permitted  the  baptism  of  converts,  and  in  1831  upward  of 
two  thousand  received  this  outward  symbol  of  the  inward 
work  that  was  in  the  immediate  future  verified  in  their 
heroic  lives. 


Hova  Type 


386 


The  Flaming  Torch 


All  the  missionaries  were  driven  out  by  imperative  de- 
cree, the  effort  to  exterminate  the  Christians  commenced, 
and  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  with  the  despotic  power  of 
the  queen  and  her  prime  minister,  and  a  numerous  army  to 
enforce  it,  every  means  was  tried  for  its  accompHshment. 
Confiscation  of  property,  the  burning  of  every  portion  of 
Scripture  that  could  be  found  by  the  spies  of  the  queen, 
public  whipping  and  condemnation  to  bondage  were  the  first 
forms  of  persecution.  Under  this  treatment  the  number 
of  believers  multiplied,    and    the    queen   determined   upon 


The  Queen  and  her  Sister 


severer  measures.  In  eight  months  over  one  thousand  per- 
sons were  put  to  death.  Many  of  these  were  forced  to  take 
the  African  poison  test,  and  those  who  escaped  death 
thereby  were  ruthlessly  speared.  During  this  period  no 
less  than  fifty-six  were  burned  at  the  stake,  and  sixty  cruci- 
fied. One  of  the  early  converts,  a  young  woman,  found  at 
a  prayer  meeting,  was  chained  for  the  night  in  a  manner  to 
cause  the  most  excruciating  torture,  and  the  next  morning, 
while  she  offered  the  petition  Stephen  prayed  for  his  mur- 
derers, she  was  thrust  through  with  a  spear. 

In  the  midst  of  these  fiery  trials  the  number  of  Christians 
continually    increased,  and   from    1843    to    1848,  during  the 


In  Darkest  Africa  387 

period  the  queen  was  too  busily  enga^^ed  with  England  and 
France  to  prosecute  her  policy  of  extermination,  the  native 
evangelists  went  boldly  about  the  service  of  their  Master, 
and  a  great  harvest  of  souls  resulted. 

Seeing  that  her  subjects  were  rapidly  turning  from  their 
idols  the  queen  determined  upon  still  more  severe  meas- 
ures in  the  fulfillment  of  her  vow  to  destroy  every  Christian 
on  the  island,  and  from  her  palace  windows  watched  the 
execution  of  her  first  orders.  The  Christians  were  taken  to 
a  perpendicular  rock,  with  a  fall  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet,  and  one  by  one  lowered  a  little  way  over  the  precipice 
by  ropes  and  asked,  "Will  you  cease  to  pray  to  Christ?" 
Without  a  single  exception  the  answer  was  an  emphatic 
"  No."  The  rope  was  cut,  and  they  were  hurled  to  the  rocks 
below.  Of  all  who  were  suspended  from  the  "  Rock  of 
Hurling  "  only  one  was  spared,  a  girl  of  fifteen,  a  relative 
of  the  queen,  who,  when  she  remained  firm  in  her  faith, 
ordered  her  banishment  to  a  distant  village.  This  noble 
girl  lived  to  found  a  large  Christian  church  in  the  place  of 
her  exile. 

Among  the  martyrs  at  this  time  were  four  nobles  of  the 
highest  rank,  and  as  their  blood  could  not  be  shed  under  Hova 
law  they  were  burned.  They  walked  calmly  to  the  place 
of  execution  in  a  terrific  thunderstorm.  Two  of  them  were 
husband  and  wife,  and  to  the  latter  the  pains  of  that  awful 
hour  were  increased  by  those  of  motherhood.  Yet  they 
sang  the  sweet  Malagasy  hymns  and  prayed  for  their  mur- 
derers in  the  midst  of  the  flames.  This  was  but  the  begin- 
ning of  the  tempest  of  unholy  wrath  that  broke  upon  them. 
To  death  by  stoning  and  crucifixion  over  slow  fires  were 
added  fi>rms  of  torture  invented  for  the  occasion  and  too 
horrible  to  detail.  Those  not  killed  were  flogged  terribly 
and  sentenced  to  work  in  chains  for  life  ;  thirty-seven 
preachers,  with  their  families,  were  consigned  to  irredeem- 
able slavery  in  unhealthy  swamps. 

And  through  all  this  and  more  than  tongue  or  pen  could 
describe,  not  only  was  a  "  remnant  "  left,  but,  hiding  away 


388 


The  Flaming  Torch 


in  caves  and  forests,  in  swamps, 
their  own  yards,  these  souls  of 
God,  worshiped  and  increased 
thousand  Christians  left  like  a 
herd  had  up  to  a  few  months 
queen  grown  to  be  a  witnessing 
The  heathen  testimony  itself 
that  not  one  of  all  these  native 


and  even  in  the  rice  pits  in 
deathless  faith,  the  faith  of 

in  numbers  until  the  two 
little  flock  without  a  shep- 
after  the  death  of  the  cruel 

host  of  forty  thousand  ! 

corroborates  the  statement 

converts,  many  of  them  ig- 


Queen's  Palace  and   French  Residence 

norant  and  only  recently  brought  out  of  heathenism,  fal- 
tered in  their  quiet  heroism  when  facing  an  awful  death. 
Officers  of  the  royal  household  said,  "  We  were  near  and 
saw  all  that  took  place.  The  Christians  were  not  afraid, 
and  did  not  recant." 

After  the  coming  into  power  of  Radama  II,  a  friend  to 
the  Christians,  memorial  churches  were  built  at  the  four 
principal  places  of  execution  by  friends  in  England,  and  the 
converts  erected  many  churches  that  were  quickly  thronged 
with   worshipers.      In    this    time   of  general    rejoicing  over 


In  Darkest  Africa 


389 


deliverance  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  rejected  their 
idols  and  desired  to  accept  the  faith.  Careful  discrimina- 
tion by  the  missionaries,  who  immediately  returned,  did 
not  succeed  in  preventing  with  many  the  substitution  of  a 
State  for  a  personal  religion,  but  many  thousands  were 
savingly  converted. 

The  Church  Missionary  Societ}',  whose  work  was  after- 
ward transferred  to  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel,  had  large  success  in  Andavourante,  and  in  the 
province  of  Betsileo.  The  Society  of  Friends,  English  and 
American,  entered  the  field  in  1867,  founded  a  printing  es- 
tablishment, opened  many  schools,  and  has  accomplished  a 
grand  work.  In  the  same  year  the  Norwegian  Missionary 
Society  commenced  their  labors  that  have  been  productive 
of  much  good  in  the  line  of  education  and  the  salvation  of 
many  thousands  of  souls. 

Grave  apprehensions  have  been  felt  for  the  future  of  the 
work  under  the  political  conditions  now  existing.  A  record 
of  unflinching  fidelity,  however,  through  many  years  of  per- 
secution, political  changes,  internal  strife,  and  invasions, 
enables  us  to  look  forward  to  the  building  up  of  the  Church 
of  God  in  this  island,  and  the  salvation  of  the  remaining  two 
thirds  of  the  population  which  is  still  in  heathen  darkness. 


Semicivilized   Habitation 


390 


The   Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER   XXXIII 

The  Gospel  in  Mohammedan  Centers 

HE  valley  of  the  Nile,  so  closely- 
connected  with  Scripture  history, 
the  highway  of  many  expeditions 
of  exploration,  the  mart  for  the 
vast  commerce  of  the  countries 
southward,  did  not  share  in  the 
early  modern  missionary  move- 
ments. There  was  an  attractive- 
ness about  tlie  purely-  heathen 
countries  of  Africa  that  was  not 
presented  by  a  land  of  ancient  civ- 
ilization, however  much  degener- 
ated, and  a  national  religion  so 
sadly  corrupt. 

And  there  were  unusual  difficul- 
ties in  the  path  of  the  pioneer 
Christian  missionary  in  the  land  of  the  Pharaohs.  The 
presence  of  the  Mohammedan  pou'er,  a  great  factor  in  civil, 
and  absolutely  controlling  social  life,  with  a  university  at 
Cairo  turning  out  a  thousand  missionaries  a  year  to  propa- 
gate a  religion  consisting  only  of  ceremonies  and  outward 
form  without  pretense  of  transformation  of  heart  and  life, 
was  a  tremendous  obstacle.  The  persecution  to  be  expected 
from  such  a  source,  and  the  social  corruption  everywhere 
prevalent  presented  the  first  barriers  to  direct  missionary 
endeavor. 

The  first  society  to  enter  this  field  in  modern  times  was 
that  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church  of  America.  In  1854 
their  representatives  arrived  in  Cairo,  and  at  once  began 
to  grapple  with  their  first  problem,  the  mastery  of  the 
Arabic.     This  is  an  exceedingly  difficult  task,  not  only  be- 


In  Darkest  Africa 


391 


cause  of  the  construction  of  the  huiguage,  but  because  of  the 
prejudice  of  the  populace  against  those  who  do  not  make 
exact  grammatical  use  of  it,  a  failure  to  do  so  affecting  their 
estimate  of  moral  character.  In  the  second  year  they  were 
joined  by  missionaries  transferred  from  Damascus,  when  the 
work  can  be  said  to  have  been  begun. 

The  methods  emplo\ed  by  them  and  by  the  reinforce- 
ments that  have  been  sent  to  their  assistance  were  adapted 
to  the  peculiar  conditions  of  the  field.  The  great  physical 
suffering  around  them  suggested  medical  work  as  a  door  of 
missionar)'  approach,  and 
free  dispensaries  were 
opened.  Sufferers  were 
brought  long  distances 
to  these  Bethesdas,  and 
while  relief  was  admin- 
istered the  Gospel  was 
preached  unto  them,  and 
they  returned  to  their 
fcir-away  villages  with 
portions  of  the  word  of  Ym  \  V 
God  in  Arabic.  Later,  ^  ^  '^  ^^ 
when  excursions  to  these 
outlying  villages  became 
an  important  feature  of 
the  work,  traces  of  this 
seed-sowing  were  often  found  and  watered  until  they 
brought  forth  precious  fruitage. 

The  early  progress  of  the  missions  was  of  necessity  very 
slow,  the  organization  of  the  first  native  Protestant  church 
in  Cairo  being  effected  in  1 863.  The  nature  of  the  work 
has  demanded  and  received  a  strong  force  of  lady  mission- 
aries. Realizing  that  the  best  opportunity  was  among  the 
young,  school  work  of  an  evangelistic  order  has  been  suc- 
cessfully employed.  They  have  also  engaged  in  a  visitation 
of  their  homes  that  has  in  most  cases  been  the  onh'  means 
of  reaching  the  women  of  the  land.      Although   not  kept  in 


Arab  Type 


392 


The  Flaming  Torch 


the  strict  seclusion  of  the  women  of  the  far  East  they  were 
regarded  as  little  more  than  the  slaves  of  their  owners,  who 
not  only  imposed  many  restrictions,  but  were  often  guilty  of 
the  crudest  treatment.  For  a  slight  offense,  real  or  im- 
agined, they  have  been  known  to  have  been  stripped  of  all 
clothing,  chained  to  the  floor,  cruelly  beaten,  and  left  to 
suffer  for  days  without  food  or  water. 

Into  these  prison  houses,  called  homes,  these  angels  of 
mercy  have  brought  physical  relief,  in  kindly  ministrations  or 
appeals  to  magistrates,  and  the  message  of  spiritual  deliver- 
ance from  Him  who  was  anointed  to  preach  "  deliverence  to 


the  captives,"  many  of  whom  have  come  forth  in  his  glori- 
ous liberty. 

From  1863  the  work  of  the  society  began  to  extend  from 
Cairo  and  Alexandria  and  has  reached  many  centers  in  the 
Nile  valley  as  far  southward  as  Assouan. 

In  the  Coptic  quarter  of  Cairo  the  mission  has  been 
enjo)'ing  a  broad  material  foundation  augmented  by  the  gift 
of  ii"iO,000  received  as  a  token  of  the  appreciation  of  their 
work  by  Said   Pasha  and   Ismail   Pasha.     The  mission  boat 


In  Darkest  Africa 


393 


Ibis,  which  proved  of  sucli  valuable  service  on  the  Nile,  was 
the  gift  of  a  Hindu  prince,  Maharajah  Dhulex,  who  married 
one  of  the  girls  trained  in  the  Cairo  school.  His  annual  gifts 
of  money  amounted  to  ^18,000. 

The  impression  made  upon  the  Coptic  Church  has  been 
very  encouraging,  and  the  influence  exerted  over  the 
Moslems  is  indicated  by  tlie  fact  that  more  than  a  thousand 
of  their  children  are  found  in  the  mission  schools. 

The  North  Africa  Mission,  with  headquarters  in  London, 


Oran,  Algeria 


is  an  interdenominational  organization  that  had  for  its 
primary  object  the  spiritual  enlightenment  of  the  Kabyles  ; 
but  since  its  first  missionaries  were  sent  forth  in  1881  it  has 
enlarged  its  field  to  include  not  only  Algeria,  but  Morocco, 
Tunis,  Tripoli,  and  the  Nile  delta. 

The  Kabyles  are  a  branch  of  the  Berbers,  a  race  that 
comprises  the  largest  proportion  of  the  population  of  North 
Africa.  They  inhabit  the  Ju  Jura  Mountains,  eastward  of 
the  city  of  Algiers,  and  in  the  main  are  gardeners,  living  in 


394  The  Flaming  Torch 

little  houses  built  of  stone,  of  mud,  or  of  the  branches  of 
trees,  and  grouped  in  villages.  These  are  not  usually  ob- 
served by  the  ordinary  traveler,  being  hid  away  from  the 
main  routes  of  travel. 

They  were  visited  by  George  Pearse,  in  1876,  and  again 
in  1 88 1,  and  after  his  return  to  England  he  aroused  an 
interest  in  this  people  and  their  spiritual  needs  that  led  to 
the  formation  of  a  committee,  consisting  of  the  well-known 
mission  founder,  H.  Grattan  Guinness,  who  had  visited 
Algiers,  and  Edward  H.  Glenny,  the  present  secretary.  The 
latter  accompanied  the  first  missionaries  dispatched  to  this 
field.  The  existing  French  administration  was  so  unfavor- 
able to  the  establishment  of  the  mission  that  it  had  to  be 
temporarily  abandoned,  but  was  reorganized  in  1883. 

In  that  year  Mr.  Glenny  established  a  missionary  band  at 
Tangier,  Morocco,  as  a  base  of  operations  in  that  country, 
and  from  that  time  a  decided  advance  has  continued  until 
the  stations  of  the  society  have  been  opened  in  all  of  these 
North  Africa  countries. 

They  entered  a  vast  extent  of  territory  where  the  Bible 
was  unknown,  a  region  stretching  from  Egypt  to  the 
Atlantic,  and  from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Senegal.  The 
northern  portion  of  it  was  once  fertile  and  prosperous, 
but  under  the  domination  of  the  religion  of  the  false 
prophet  its  agricultural  and  commercial  interests  have  been 
ruined,  and  war  and  famine  have  oft  visited  its  degraded 
people. 

The  missionaries,  of  which  there  are  now  more  than  one 
hundred,  have  wisely  adapted  themselves  to  the  peculiar 
conditions  of  the  country.  On  the  introduction  of  the 
mission  it  was  found  difficult,  on  account  of  Moslem  opposi- 
tion, which  often  amounted  to  bitter  persecution,  and  in 
some  cases  resulted  in  the  martyrdom  of  converts,  to 
assemble  the  people  for  worship  ;  and  therefore  the  word  of 
life  was  carried  to  them  and  impressed  upon  them  individually 
or  gathered  in  small  groups  in  their  homes,  on  the  streets,  and 
in  the  bazaars.    For  this  service  translations  of  the  Scripture 


In  Darkest  Africa  397 

were  essential,  and  with  the  liearty  cooperation  of  the  l^ritish 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society  the  four  gospels  iiave  been 
printed  in  Kabyle,  the  gospel  of  Matthew  in  Riffian,  and 
other  portions  preparing. 

Next  to  the  circulation  of  the  Scriptures  the  most  help- 
ful agency  has  proved  to  be  the  medical  department.  At 
Tangier  there  is  a  hospital  and  dispensary,  with  a  separate 
department  for  women.  A  dispensary  at  Fez.  has  been  the 
i'litial  attraction  that  has  brought  thousands  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  capital  of  Morocco  within  the  sound  of  the 
Gospel,  and  medical  missions  have  been  opened  in  all  the 
centers  of  population. 

As  in  the  American  Mission  in  Eg}-pt,  many  lady  mis- 
sionaries are  doing  successful  work  in  the  homes  of  the 
Mohammedans  to  which  they  have  access,  and  the}'  are, 
fortunately  in  this  case,  regarded  with  less  suspicion  because 
it  is  thought  they  will  not  have  sufficient  influence  to  per- 
vert an}'one.  Thus  their  ignorance  of  the  capabilities  of 
the  best  agency  for  the  advancement  of  truth  and  righteous- 
ness in  any  land  opens  the  door  of  opportunity  for  its 
accomplishment  in  their  very  midst. 

The  keen  observation  and  practical  adaptation  of  methods 
of  the  lady  missionaries  have  often  been  more  than  a  match 
for  those  who  have  so  closely  guarded  these  citadels  of  Satan. 
Many  of  them  are  evidently  full  sisters  to  a  lady  who 
labored  so  successfulh-  in  a  Mohammedan  center.  StroUingr 
down  by  the  river,  in  deep  meditation  over  the  difficulty  of 
approaching  the  hearts  of  the  people,  she  observed  a  fisher- 
man casting  his  lines.  His  success  invited  a  closer  inspec- 
tion, and  as  she  watched  him  preparing  the  hooks  she  said, 
"  How  is  it,  man,  that  you  place  a  different  kind  of  bait  on 
the  different  sizes  of  hooks?"'  '' O,"  he  replied,  ''I  bait 
for  the  fish  I  want  to  catch."  The  missionary  retraced  her 
steps  with  the  prayer  in  her  heart,  "O  Lord,  show  me  the 
bait  for  my  hooks."  As  she  entered  the  mission  house  she 
observed  an  image  of  the  Virgin  Alary  placed  by  the  side  of 
her  door  by  some  of  the   Roman  Catholic  element  of  the 


398  The  Flaming  Torch 

community,  ostensibly  to  prevent  her  having  an  evil  influ- 
ence upon  them.  Immediately  she  carried  it  into  the  house 
and  placed  it  conspicuously  on  her  table.  There  soon  came 
a  shoal  of  fish  to  whom  that  bait  was  adapted,  and  in  reply 
to  their  astonished  inquiries  she  said  :  "  O,  yes,  I  believe  in 
the  Virgin  Mary,  and  gladly  obey  her.  Do  you  not  remem- 
ber that  the  Virgin  said  of  Jesus  at  the  marriage  feast, 
'Whatsoever  he  saith  unto  thee,  do  it,'  and  how  can  we 
know  what  Jesus  bids  us  do  unless  we  read  his  word?"  In 
their  curiosity  to  know  what  Jesus  said  they  listened  eagerly 
while  she  taught  them  from  the  word  of  God. 

For  the  Mohammedan  hook  she  had  the  wisdom  to  pro- 
vide a  different  bait.  Early  in  the  morning  she  walked 
down  the  village  street,  knitting  as  she  went.  Among  the 
crowd  that  eagerly  gathered  about  her  to  see  her  beautiful 
handiwork  was  an  Arab  sheik,  into  whose  sacred  precincts 
she  was  forbidden  to  enter.  The  people  entreated  her  to 
teach  their  children  how  to  knit,  but  several  of  them  protested 
that  she  must  not  teach  them  the  Bible  when  they  visited 
her  house  for  their  lessons.  To  this  she  consented,  with  the 
understanding  that  they  would  be  permitted  to  listen  to  the 
stories  she  would  read  to  them. 

The  Mohammedan  priest  here  interposed  an  exhortation 
that  she  should  teach  the  Koran.  Expressing  an  earnest 
desire  to  know  what  its  teachings  were,  she  received  an  in- 
vitation to  accompany  him  immediately  to  his  house.  A 
beautiful  copy  of  the  Koran  was  carefully  taken  from  its 
silken  wrappings  and  selections  read  to  the  missionary,  who 
said,  "  Why,  that  is  like  my  Bible,  only  there  is  so  much 
more  of  it  in  my  book  than  you  have  there  ;  let  me  read  the 
rest  of  those  passages  to  you."  And  taking  the  little  book 
from  its  place  of  concealment  in  her  dress  she  read  the 
word  of  life  to  the  astonished  sheik.  Never  before  had  he 
received  any  intimation  of  what  were  the  teachings  of  the 
book  of  God.  She  had  baited  her  hook  with  the  Koran,  and 
landed  one  of  its  most  enthusiastic  teachers,  who  afterward 
became  an  evangelist  to  his  people. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


399 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

Land  of  the  White  Man's  Grave 

F  the  great  host  of  light-bearers  who 
have  attempted  to  enter  the  Dark 
Continent  through  the  inhospitable 
climate  of  the  West  Coast  the  vast 
majority  have  surrendered  life  in  the 
endeavor.  The  earliest  efforts  made 
by  the  Moravian,  English,  and  Scotch 
societies  were  soon  of  necessity  aban- 
doned. The  first  to  maintain  a  foot- 
hold was  the  Church  Missionary  Society.  Near  the  begin- 
ning of  this  century  they  sent  missionaries  to  the  Susu 
people,  and  soon  after  to  the  Bullom  tribe,  near  Sierra 
Leone.  Nylander  labored  nineteen  years  among  the  latter, 
and  died  without  once  returning  to  his  native  land.  Of  the 
twenty-six  missionaries  to  these  tribes  fifteen  had  died, 
when  work  was  undertaken  in  Sierra  Leone,  in  i8i6,  in 
the  British  slave  colonies. 

Beginning  amid  surroundings  of  terrible  depravity,  with 
a  congregation  of  nine,  thousands  of  liberated  slaves  were 
brought  under  instruction,  and  in  three  years  the  church 
attendants  numbered  twelve  hundred.  The  deadly  effect  of 
the  climate  upon  white  missionaries  early  suggested  the  de- 
velopment of  a  native  ministry,  and  in  1827  Farrah  Bay  Col- 
lege was  opened  for  that  purpose.  Of  the  eighty  African 
clergymen  ordained  in  half  a  century  fifty  passed  through 
this  college,  the  first  being  Samuel  Crowther,  afterward 
Bishop  of  the  Niger. 

It  had  been  wisely  foreseen  that  the  establishment  of  in- 
dependence would  facilitate  rapid  and  healthful  growth,  the 
object  on  this  line  being  to  make  the  native  Church  "  self- 
governing,  self-sustaining,  and  sclf-cxtcnding."     Its  success 


400 


The  Flaming  Torch 


is  among  the  marvels  of  achievement  of  this  society.  On 
the  worse  than  savage  borders  of  a  heathen  land,  in  a  popu- 
lation consisting  of  the  lowest  types  of  many  tribes,  among 
whom  Koelle  found  two  Jmndrcd  languages  and  dialects 
spoken,  sunk  to  the  vile  depths  of  degradation  by  slavery 
with  all  its  horrors,  a  native  Christian  Church  has  been  de- 
veloped that  is  not  only  self-governing  and  self-sustaining, 
but  has  its  missions  among  the  heathen. 


\       ' 


Freetown,   Sierra  Leone 


The  work  of  the  society  was  extended  southward  to  the 
Yoruba,  under  which  name  are  included  the  Egba,  Ondo, 
Ife.  and  other  tribes  of  the  well-known  "Slave  Coast." 
Among  the  traditions  of  their  origin  one  designates  Ife  as 
the  cradle  of  the  whole  human  race,  and  another  declares 
them  to  be  the  remnant  of  the  "  children  of  Canaan  who 
were  of  the  tribe  of  Nimrod."  Their  countr\^  was  frequently 
devastated  by  the  slave  trade,  three  hundred  towns  in  the 
Egba  district  alone  having  been  destroyed  in  fifty  j-ears. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


401 


About  1825  the  refugees  from  ruined  towns  gathered 
about  a  rock  rising  to  an  elevation  of  two  hundred  feet, 
seventy  miles  from  the  coast  on  the  River  Ogun.  Here  they 
built  a  walled  city,  Abeokuta  (understone),  with  a  popula- 
tion of  one  hundred  thousand.  Some  of  the  liberated  slaves 
at  Sierra  Leone  returned  to  this  people  and  petitioned  for 
missionaries  to  be  sent  to  them.  A  preliminary  visit,  which 
was  well  received  by  the  chiefs,  was  made  by  Henry  Town- 
send  in  1843,  and  the  following  year  he  attempted  to  return  to 
them  with  two  assistants,  one  of 
Avhom  was  Samuel  Crowther, 
a  Yoruba.  Owing  to  the  dis- 
turbed condition  of  the  country 
they  were  detained  on  its  bor- 
der for  eigliteen  months,  during 
which  time  they  devoted  their 
labor  to  the  Badagry  people. 
The  road  was  at  last  opened  by 
the  caravan  of  a  slave  dealer, 
with  which  the  missionaries 
managed  to  send  a  trusted 
native  messenger,  who  returned 
with  an  invitation  to  the  "  white 
men"  to  come  up  immediately. 
They  were  joyfully  received  by 
the  native  converts,  and  commenced  their  labors  under 
favorable  circumstances. 

In  1848  the  Egba  chiefs  dispatched  a  communication  to 
Queen  Victoria  expressive  of  gratitude  for  the  suppression 
of  the  slave  trade  and  commendatory  of  the  labors  of  the 
missionaries,  and  received  with  a  reply  two  beautiful  Bibles, 
in  English  and  Arabic,  and  the  gift  of  a  steel  corn  mill  from 
Prince  Albert. 

Under  such  favorable  auspices,  although  interrupted  by 

persecutions    bravely  borne   by   the   native    Christians,   the 

work  made  good  progress  and  spread  to  other  towns.     It 

was  through  the  influence  of  the  missionaries  that  legitimate 
20 


^;^ 


A  Somali  Type 


402  The  Flaming  Torch 

commerce  was  fostered,  one  branch  being  tlie  large  cotton 
trade  through  the  port  of  Lagos. 

Invasions  by  the  fierce  Dahomans,  and  tribal  wars,  have 
given  the  mission  a  checkered  history.  Native  Christians 
suffered  captivity  and  crucifixion,  but  were  steadfast  in  the 
faith.  When  all  the  white  missionaries  were  driven  out  by 
an  uprising  against  the  British,  fostered  by  ill-disposed  rene- 
gades from  Sierra  Leone,  and  for  many  years  were  not  per- 
mitted to  return,  the  native  ministry  held  the  converts  to- 
gether, and  they  continued  to  increase  in  numbers  in  the 
midst  of  fiery  persecutions;  and  although  some  of  the  out- 
lying stations  had  to  be  abandoned,  three  thousand  five 
hundred  Christian  adherents  and  five  native  ministers  at- 
tested the  permanence  of  the  work. 

The  Lagos  Mission,  opened  in  1852,  is  on  the  plan  of  that 
of  Sierra  Leone,  and  controls  and  supports  the  stations 
in  its  vicinity,  its  educational  institutions  being,  however, 
under  the  direction  of  the  society. 

The  third  expedition  up  the  Niger  was  attempted  in 
1857  in  a  small  government  steamer,  the  mission  consisting 
of  Samuel  Crowther  and  one  native  assistant.  This  man  he 
left  in  charge  of  Onitsha.  The  steamer  was  wrecked  on  the 
river  at  a  point  four  hundred  miles  from  the  sea,  and  Crow- 
ther was  unable  to  find  a  way  of  returning  for  a  year  and  a 
half,  when  he  journeyed  to  the  coast  through  the  Yoruba 
country. 

Of  the  four  stations  opened,  Gebebe,  where  the  first  con- 
verts on  the  Niger  were  baptized,  was  destroyed  by  civil  war, 
and  from  Idda  the  mission  was  driven  out  by  a  treacherous 
chief,  who  seized  Crowther  and  held  him  for  ransom,  and  the 
British  consul,  Fell,  who  effected  his  release,  was  killed  by 
a  poisoned  arrow. 

The  missions  of  the  Delta  were  begun  when  Crowther 
returned  as  Bishop  of  the  Niger  in  1864.  Bonny  was  en- 
tered at  the  invitation  of  its  king,  who  had  visited  London. 
It  had  become  a  prosperous  port  on  account  of  the  palm  oil 
trade,  but  was  still  largely  heathen.     Cannibalism  had  not 


o 


In  Darkest  Africa  405 

become  extinct ;  at  the  burial  of  chiefs  human  sacrifices 
were  still  offered  ;  the  ju-ju  or  devil  houses  were  paved  with 
the  skulls  and  bones  of  enemies  slain  in  battle,  and  the 
sacred  lizards  infested  the  town.  Trade  had  not  removed 
these  and  other  cruel  heathen  customs.  They  could  only 
be  eliminated  by  the  power  of  the  Gospel  transforming  the 
hearts  of  tlie  people.  The  first  years  of  the  mission  saw 
no  visible  fruits,  and  when  these  appeared  a  fierce  persecu- 
tion arose  and  continued  for  years.  Two  native  Christians 
suffered  martyrdom  rather  than  renounce  their  faith.  When 
the  edict  against  Christianity  was  withdrawn  the  chapels 
were  crowded,  and  soon  many  professed  conversion,  among 
them  several  prominent  chiefs,  and  the  mission  has  contin- 
ued to  prosper.  The  ancient  "god  of  Bonny,"  the  idols  and 
greegrees,  were  wholly  abandoned  and  sent  to  the  society 
in  London  as  relics  of  the  barbarous  past. 

The  early  missions  to  Liberia  and  the  Kroo  Coast,  partici- 
pated in  by  several  missionary  societies,  and  dating  from  the 
arrival  of  freedmen  to  locate  a  colony,  were  surrounded  by 
difficulties  that  resulted  in  the  withdrawal  of  all  white  mis- 
sionaries who  did  not  fall  victims  to  the  inhospitable  cli- 
mate. Two  representatives  of  the  Baptist  Church  accom- 
panied the  first  colony;  missionaries  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church  soon  followed,  and  the  first  foreign  mis- 
sionary of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Melville  B. 
Cox,  was  sent  to  Liberia,  where,  like  most  of  his  colaborers, 
he  soon  died.  These  organizations  continued  to  assist  the 
work  after  a  quarter  of  a  century  of  heavy  loss  by  death, 
but  entirely  through  the  agency,  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  native  evangelists,  of  the  Americo-Liberians.  In  recent 
years  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  has  sent  missionaries 
from  America  in  connection  with  their  work  among  the 
natives  of  the  Kroo  Coast,  The  extension  of  the  work  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  is  referred  to  in  this  volume  in 
my  account  of  personal  missionary  tours.  The  Baptist  So- 
ciety transferred  their  labors  to  the  Congo  region. 

Tlie   Free   Methodist    Church   has  engaged   in   successful 


406  The  Flaming  Torch 

work  in  Liberia,  the  work  in  Monrovia  having  been  in  charge 
of  some  of  the  choice  spirits  of  that  organization.  Their 
labors  have  been  principally  directed  along  evangelistic 
lines  ;  but  here,  as  in  the  missions  among  the  Zulus  and  that 
at  Inhambane,, they  have  made  earnest  effort  to  reach  the 
heathen  population.  The  African  Zion  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  has  been  represented  in  this  quarter  of  the  globe 
by  my  friend  Bishop  Henry  Turner,  who  has  made  exten- 
sive tours  in  the  interest  of  the  work  committed  to  his  care. 

The  Lutheran  missions  in  Liberia  group  their  interests 
around  the  life  and  labors  of  David  A.  Day,  who  for  tvvent}'- 
four  years  devoted  his  untiring  energies  to  the  development 
of  industrial  stations,  and  the  missions  that  remain  as  his 
monument  are  substantial  proof  of  the  soundness  of  the 
principles  upon  which  he  worked. 

•  The  central  mission  station  of  those  he  established  upon 
heathen  soil  was  founded  some  years  before  he  was  sent  to 
take  charge  of  it.  Muhlenberg  Mission  is  situated  thirty 
miles  north  of  Monrovia,  on  the  St.  Paul's  River,  in  a  thickly 
populated,  fertile  country.  With  a  clear  view  of  the  fact 
that  among  heathen  nations  industries  suitable  to  the  Chris- 
tian civilization  to  which  it  was  desired  to  elevate  them 
must  be  introduced  at  the  same  time  as  the  Gospel  message 
and  mental  culture,  Day  commenced  at  once  to  teach  the 
natives  the  simpler  mechanics  and  better  methods  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  soil.  With  regular  preaching  services  and 
a  mission  school  were  connected  a  smithy,  a  carpenter  shop, 
and  a  sewing  class. 

The  introduction  of  industrial  features  into  these  Lutheran 
missions  resulted  in  the  usual  twofold  success — the  mind 
and  heart  of  the  native  were  more  quickly  understood  by 
contact  with  him  in  the  detail  of  daily  life,  and  a  more 
direct  application  of  Gospel  truth  brought  to  his  personal 
needs  than  could  have  been  so  quickly  accomplished  in  or- 
dinary missionar}^  endeavor ;  and  transformed  by  the  grace 
of  God  he  became  a  self-supporting,  independent  worker 
and  witness  for  Jesus. 


In  Darkest  Africa  407 

Many  such  have  gone  out  from  this  mission  to  uplift  and 
bless  the  heathen  communities  surrounding  it ;  and  some  of 
them  have  become  skillful  in  the  different  branches  of  indus- 
tr)^  in  which  they  have  been  instructed.  If  you  visit  the 
Muhlenberg  Mission  and  its  substations,  when  you  arrive  at 
Monrovia,  the  port,  of  entry,  you  will  still  have  thirty  miles 
to  voyage  up  the  St.  Paul's  River.  If  you  do  not  make  the 
trip  in  a  surfboat  or  a  canoe  you  will  take  passage  in  the 
Mary  Auu,  a  queer  little  steamer  of  a  few  tons  capacity.  It 
is  the  property  of  the  native  man  who  built  it,  and  who  com- 
pleted his  mechanical  training  in  the  Muhlenberg  Mission. 
To  construct  his  steamer  he  divided  a  long  canoe  from  stem 
to  stern  and  built  his  conception  of  a  boat  between  the 
divided  halves.  It  is  a  safe  and  serviceable  river  craft,  pro- 
pelled by  steam. 

As  another  result  of  industrial  education  the  Muhlenberg 
Mission  is  self-supporting,  chiefly  by  the  production  of  coffee. 
Extensive  orchards  were  early  planted,  carefull)'  cultivated, 
and  now  produce  large  and  profitable  crops. 

1  have  often  been  entertained  on  these  mission  stations  by 
Dr.  Day,  a  charming  personality  and  steadfast  friend.  His 
house  was  ever  open  to  missionaries  and  other  travelers,  and 
when  it  was  crowded  he  would  sleep  on  the  floor  himself  to 
give  a  stranger  comfortable  lodgment.  On  my  recent  re- 
turn from  Africa  I  met  him  for  the  last  time  on  the  steamer 
bound  for  New  York.  His  face  was  set  toward  the  eternal 
hills  where  so  many  brave  spirits  who  have  lived  and  suf- 
fered and  died  for  the  Dark  Continent  have  gathered. 
Once  more  I  took  the  hand  that  for  4  quarter  of  a  century 
had  been  that  of  a  brother  to  black  and  white  alike,  and 
once  more  the  kindly  light  came  into  the  gentle  eyes  be- 
fore they  closed  to  open  when  we  shall  meet  again  in  the 
mornin". 


408 


The  Flaming  Torch 


(..■.-■ 


CHAPTER    XXXV 

The  Gospel  on  the  Gold  Coast 

N  spite  of  the  perils  attendant  upon  the 
establishment  of  a  mission  in  what 
was  considered  the  most  unhealthy 
portion  of  darkest  Africa,  the  Wes- 
leyans  ever  renewed  their  endeav- 
ors to  give  it  light.  Among  the 
refugees  at  Sierra  Leone  were  a  num- 
ber of  Methodist  converts,  and  a 
hundred  of  these  met  for  divine 
worship  and  prayed  for  missionaries. 
This  call  met  response  in  the  com- 
ing of  George  Warren  and  three 
school-teachers  in  1811.  He  found 
a  chapel  already  built,  and  the  African  Christians  rallied 
to  the  work  he  vigorously  extended  for  eight  months,  when 
he  fell  a  victim  to  the  fever,  the  first  of  a  long  line  of 
reinforcements  that  quickly  fell  at  their  post.  With  a  de- 
crease of  mortality  among  the  missionaries  after  the  first 
thirty  years  the  work  was  firmly  established,  not  only  in 
Freetown,  but  in  a  dozen  other  locations,  one  of  the  most 
helpful  institutions  being  a  seminary  for  the  training  of 
native  evangelists  and  teachers. 

The  Gambia  Mission  was  opened  in  1821,  and  after  three 
years  of  heavy  losses  was  established  on  a  firm  basis  on  the 
island  of  St.  Mary's,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Gambia.  Another 
island  up  the  river  was  visited,  a  number  of  naked  heathen 
children  gathered  into  a  school  and  left  in  charge  of  a  native 
teacher,  under  whose  devoted  labors  a  successful  mission 
was  begun.  These  points  were  ably  supplied  by  native 
preachers  brought  from  the  seminary  at  Sierra  Leone,  new 
stations  were  opened,  chapels  built,  schools  established,  and 


In  Darkest  Africa  409 

to  the  multitude  of  liberated  slaves  and  to  the  Mandingo 
tribe  the  mission  has  been  of  untold  blessing. 

The  Gold  Coast  Mission  had  a  providential  beginning 
quite  as  marked  as  that  of  Sierra  Leone.  At  the  British 
settlement  of  Cape  Coast  Castle  some  native  bo)'s  learned 
to  read  in  the  government  school,  formed  themselves  into 
an  association  for  the  study  of  the  Bible,  and  intrusted  an 
order  for  a  supply  of  these  to  the  master  of  a  merchantman. 
Captain  Potter. 

Not  content  with  faithfully  executing  his  commission  the 
captain  called  at  the  Wesleyan  Mission  House  and  offered 
free  passage  for  a  missionary,  with  the  added  promise  that 
if  his  endeavor  was  not  a  success  he  would  bring  him  back 
to  England  free  of  all  expense.  The  missionary  appointed 
to  accompany  him  did  not  need  the  return  ticket,  for  after 
a  few  months  of  faithful  labor  he  fell  a  victim  to  the 
climate. 

Reinforcements  followed,  which  were  greatly  strengthened 
in  this  difficult  service  by  native  agency,  and  the  work  was 
placed  on  a  firm  footing  from  Cape  Coast  to  Lagos,  and  at 
some  interior  points  successful  evangelistic  labors  were  en- 
gaged in. 

The  interest  in  the  work  of  this  society  in  the  Bight  of 
Benin  is  not  lessened  by  the  fact  that  the  founder,  and  for 
many  years  the  honored  superintendent,  was  of  African 
blood,  the  story  of  whose  life  is  told  in  a  little  book  of  which 
his  name  is  the  title,  Thomas  Birch  Freeman.  The  trials 
and  triumphs  of  pioneer  missionary  labor  were  the  daily  life 
of  this  man,  who  himself  gives  an  account  of  his  first  en- 
trance into  Ashantee,  the  city  of  blood. 

"At  2  P.  M.  a  messenger  arrived  from  the  king  requesting 
me  to  proceed  as  early  as  possible.  I  immediately  dressed 
myself,  and  while  doing  so  three  others  arrived,  each  bear- 
ing a  golden  sword,  requesting  me  to  hasten  foward.  I 
then  advanced  toward  the  town,  preceded  by  the  messen- 
gers and  some  soldiers  bearing  arms. 

"  Having  reached  the  outskirts  we  halted  under  a  lartre 


410  The  Flaming  Torch 

tree,  and  there  waited  for  another  royal  invitation.  In  a 
short  time  his  majesty's  chief  linguist,  the  Apoko,  came  in  a 
palanquin,  shaded  by  an  immense  umbrella,  and  accompa- 
nied by  messengers  bearing  canes  nearly  covered  with  gold. 
These  took  charge  of  my  luggage,  and  saw  it  safely  lodged 
in  the  residence  intended  for  me.  All  this  being  properly 
arranged  another  messenger  arrived  accompanied  by  troops 
and  men  bearing  large  umbrellas.  I  was  requested  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  market  place.  '  The  king's  commandment  ' 
being  '  urgent '  we  pushed  along  with  speed,  preceded  by  a 
band  of  music. 

'*  As  soon  as  we  arrived  at  the  market  place  I  got  out  of 
my  traveling  chair.  Walking  through  the  midst  of  an  im- 
mense  concourse  of  persons,  a  narrow  path  being  kept  for 
me,  I  paid  my  respects  to  the  king,  his  numerous  chiefs  and 
captains.  These  were  seated  on  wooden  chairs  richly  deco- 
rated with  brass  and  gold,  and  under  the  shade  of  splendid 
umbrellas,  some  of  them  large  enough  to  screen  twelve  or 
fourteen  persons  from  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun.  These 
state  umbrellas  were  crowned  with  images  of  beasts  and 
various  devices  and  covered  with  gold.  Round  about  the 
king  were  the  native  troops  and  a  multitude  of  attendants, 
lending  impressiveness  to  the  ceremony. 

"  I  was  occupied  for  half  an  hour  walking  slowly  through 
the  midst  of  this  immense  assembly,  touching  my  hat  and 
waving  my  hand,  except  before  the  king.  In  his  presence 
I,  of  course,  stood  for  a  moment  uncovered.  I  then  took 
my  seat  at  a  distance,  accompanied  by  my  people  and  sev- 
eral respectable  Fanti  traders  who  were  staying  in  the  town. 
Here,  according  to  the  usual  custom,  we  received  the  return 
compliments  of  the  king. 

"  After  I  was  seated  the  immense  mass  began  to  be  in 
motion.  Many  of  the  chiefs  first  passed  me  in  succession, 
accompanied  by  their  numerous  retinue.  Some  of  them 
cordially  shook  me  by  the  hand.  Then  came  the  officers  of 
the  king's  household,  attended  by  their  people.  Some  bore 
on  their  heads  massive  pieces  of  silver  plate,  others  carried 


West  Coast  Fetich  House 


In  Darkest  Africa  413 

in  their  hands  gold  swords  and  canes,  native  cliairs  and  buf- 
fets neatly  carved  and  almost  covered  with  gold  and  silver, 
and  tobacco  pipes  richly  decorated  with  the  same  precious 
materials. 

"  Amid  this  ostentatious  display  I  saw  what  was  calcu- 
lated to  harrow  up  the  strongest  and  most  painful  feelings. 
The  royal  executioners  displayed  the  blood-stained  stools 
on  which  hundreds,  perhaps  thousands,  of  human  victims 
have  been  sacrificed  by  decapitation.  They  also  carried  the 
large  death-drum,  which  is  beaten  at  the  moment  when  the 
fatal  knife  severs  the  head  from  the  body,  the  very  sound  of 
which  conveys  a  thrill  of  horror.  This  rude  instrument, 
connected  with  which  are  inost  dreadful  associations,  was 
literally  covered  with  dried  clots  of  blood  and  decorated 
with  the  jawbones  and  skulls  of  human  victims. 

"  Then  followed  the  king,  Kwaku  Duah,  under  the  shade 
of  three  umbrellas,  the  cloth  of  which  was  silk  velvet  of  dif- 
ferent colors.  These  were  supported  by  some  of  his  numer- 
ous attendants.  The  display  of  gold  which  I  witnessed  as 
his  majesty  passed  was  astonishing. 

"After  the  king  followed  other  chiefs,  and  lastly  the  main 
body  of  the  troops.  This  immense  procession  occupied  an 
hour  and  a  half  in  passing.  There  were  several  Moors  in 
the  procession,  but  they  made  by  no  means  a  conspicuous 
appearance.  I  suppose  the  number  of  persons  which  I  saw 
collected  together  exceeded  forty  thousand,  including  a 
great  number  of  females.  The  wrists  of  some  of  the  chiefs 
were  so  heavily  laden  with  golden  ornaments  that  they 
rested  their  arms  on  the  shoulders  of  some  of  their  attend- 
ants. The  appearance  of  the  procession  was  exceedingly 
grand  and  imposing. 

"  The  contrast  between  the  people  themselves  and  the 
large  umbrellas,  seventy  in  number,  and  of  various  colors, 
Avhich  they  waved  up  and  down  in  the  air,  together  with  the 
dark  green  foliage  of  the  large  banyan  trees,  under  and  among 
which  they  passed,  formed  a  scene  which  was  novel  and  ex- 
traordinary.    I  gazed  on  this  concourse  of  heathen  with  feel- 


414 


The  Flaming  Torch 


ings  of  sorrow  and  joy.  I  sorrowed  in  the  reflection  that  most, 
and  perhaps  all,  were  totally  ignorant  of  the  great  Author  of 
their  being,  and  without  one  ray  of  divine  consolation  to  cheer 
them  amid  the  changing  scenes  of  this  visionary  world." 


'>'''ih  tu,»,i||KW- i  :,\f^^^'^MiH 


A  Boy  of  the  Coast 

Such  was  the  condition  of  the  heathen  peoples  of  this 
coast  and  its  interior,  and  the  marvelous  changes  that  have 
transpired  attest  the  power  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ  and  the 
faithfulness  of  the  men  and  women  who  have  toiled  and  suf- 
fered and  died  for  their  salvation. 


In  Darkest  Africa  415 

Among  the  v^iricd  agencies  employed  is  the  Technical 
Institution  and  the  Training  College.  The  latter  prepares 
native  teachers  and  ministers  for  successful  service,  and  the 
former  has  been  a  large  factor  in  the  development  of  inde- 
pendence of  individual  character  and  partial  support  for  the 
mission.  On  frequent  voyages  oii  the  southwest  coast  and 
on  the  Congo  I  have  met  with  numbers  of  "boys"  who 
were  engaged  in  the  mechanical  arts  they  had  learned  here, 
while  many  of  them  were  witnesses  and  workers  for  souls. 
I  have  been  informed  that  this  Wesleyan  institution  supplies 
the  mechanics  for  the  coast. 

The  very  interesting  portion  of  West  Africa  known  as  the 
Calabar  Country  has  been  a  mission  field  of  the  United  Pres- 
byterian Church  of  Scotland  since  1846.  In  that  year  there 
came  thither  from  Jamaica,  Waddell  and  Edgerly  and  their 
heroic  wives,  accompanied  by  ten  young  men.  The  follow- 
ing year  Hugh  Goldie  and  wife,  and  two  }-cars  later  An- 
derson, were  transferred  here  from  the  West  Indian  Mission. 
These  pioneers  and  their  families  maintained  efficient  service 
in  this  field  for  half  a  century.  Calabar  River  is  large,  but 
not  long.  Cross  River,  which  flows  into  the  Calabar  a  few 
miles  below  Duke  Town  through  a  mouth  twelve  miles  wide, 
is  navigable  for  river  steamers  to  the  falls,  a  distance  of  three 
hundred  miles.  Their  eight  principal  stations,  in  charge  of 
missionaries  from  the  home  country,  extend  up  Cross  River 
about  two  hundred  miles,  with  transport  by  their  own  mis- 
sion steamer.  The  people  and  their  language  bear  the  name 
of  Efik.  The  entire  Bible  has  been  reduced  to  manuscript 
and  printed  in  Efik  by  these  missionaries,  and,  among  other 
good  books.  Pilgrim  s  Progress. 

The  United  Presbyterian  missionaries  of  Old  Calabar  have 
"fought  a  good  fight,"  have  been  in  "  perils  oft,"  have  won 
many  souls  to  Christ,  and  have  had  a  decided  success  in 
putting  down  many  of  the  cruel,  man-destroying  customs 
of  hoary-headed,  bloody  heathenism,  and  not  a  few  faithful 
men  and  women  have  witnessed  a  good  confession  when 
d}'ing  at  their  [lost. 


416 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

Missions  West  and  Sottthwest 

LITTLE  before  the  commencement 
of  the  labors  of  the  Scotch  Church 
at  Old  Calabar  the  American  Board 
opened  a  mission  on  the  Gaboon 
River,  which  became  the  starting 
point  for  a  number  of  stations  of 
the  American  Presbyterians  in  the 
Gaboon  and  Corisco  districts.  Dr. 
Nassau  has  for  years  been  the  leader 
in  this  movement,  and  during  his 
long  term  of  service  has  witnessed  the  transformation  from 
a  few  workers  among  entirely  heathen  surroundings  to  a 
strong  force  of  foreign  and  native  missionaries  in  charge  of 
aggressive  Churches  that  are  continually  extending  their  in- 
fluence into  the  darkness  beyond  their  borders. 

Early  in  the  history  of  the  work  the  native  language,  the 
Mpongwe,  and  soon  after  the  .scores  of  dialects  were 
reduced  to  manuscript,  and  the  entire  New  Testament  and 
portions  of  the  Old  Testament,  together  with  other  helpful 
books,  were  printed.  Occupying  French  and  German  terri- 
tory the  native  tongue  has  of  necessity  been  the  principal 
channel  of  communication  with  the  peopl-e. 

Barraka,  ten  miles  up  the  Gaboon  River,  was  the  first 
station,  and  being  the  port  of  entry  was  the  natural  base  of 
operations.  The  people  made  their  homes  in  villages  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  for  commercial  purposes,  their  trade  being 
in  ivory,  ebony,  dyewoods,  palm  oil,  and  gums  which  they 
collected  from  the  forests,  where  they  also  made  clearings 
for  their  little  farms.  On  the  beautiful  island  of  Corisco 
four  stations  were  opened,  and  many  devoted  missionaries 
spent  years  in  arduous  toil,  no  small  portion  of  the  result 


o 


27 


In  Darkest  Africa  419 

being  the  development  of  a  native  agency.  It  having  been 
found  that  the  work  could  be  more  rapidly  extended  on  the 
main  land  with  no  more  climatic  risk  than  was  offered  on 
the  island  the  force  was  gradually  transferred  until  Corisco 
was  left  in  charge  of  efficient  native  preachers  and  teachers. 
Three  churches  have  been  formed  on  the  island,  the  central 
one  having  a  membership  of  more  than  a  hundred,  two 
congregations  building  their  own  chapels.  A  great  change 
has  been  wrought  in  the  moral  tone  of  the  inhabitants, 
largely  through  the  education  of  the  women  and  girls. 

Mbade,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Benito  River,  was  opened  in 
1865,  and  became  the  center  for  much  consecrated  labor  and 
success.  Among  other  obstacles  to  early  progress  here  was 
the  power  of  the  great  secret  society,  Nkuku,  an  organization 
of  the  devil  that  not  only  ruthlessly  destroyed  the  lives  of 
many  innocent  natives,  but  was  a  menace  to  the  mission- 
aries. Its  authority  was  supreme,  there  was  no  appeal  from 
the  decisions  of  its  tribunals,  and  it  had  long  been  a  prime 
agency  of  evil.  The  native  Christians  met  it  fearlessly,  and 
after  an  agitation  that  long  threatened  a  different  termina- 
tion the  power  of  the  society  was  completely  broken  and  the 
people  released  from  their  blinding  superstitions. 

The  church  of  this  center  was  finally  placed  in  charge  of 
a  native  pastor,  who  has  supervision  over  ten  substations, 
employing  an  intelligent  and  efficient  native  agency.  One 
of  these  stations  northward  on  the  coast,  Batanga,  became  a 
principal  station,  and  the  central  point  of  the  work  in  the 
Bulu  country.  One  of  the  many  interesting  features  of  the 
extension  of  the  work  here,  which  developed  four  churches 
on  and  near  the  coast,  is  the  growing  desire  of  the  natives 
whose  towns  have  not  been  evangelized  to  have  missionaries 
come  among  them.  A  number  of  these  towns  have  con- 
structed "  prayer  houses"  of  their  own  accord,  and  have  sent 
deputations  petitioning  for  Christian  teachers,  whom  they 
promise  to  support  and  aid  in  every  possible  way.  Truly 
here,  as  in  many  places  in  the  dark  land,  they  are  "  stretch- 
ing out  their  hands  unto  God." 


420  The  Flaming  Torch 

Large  educational  interests  have  been  maintained  at 
Batanga.  Besides  the  day  schools  in  the  different  towns 
there  is  a  boarding  school  for  boys  and  another  for  girls, 
and  a  training  class  for  African  preachers,  from  which  they 
go  to  their  fields  of  labor,  not  only  with  a  knowledge  of 
theology,  but  its  practical  application  to  the  needs  of  the 
people.     Medical  work   has   proved   very    helpful,    and  the 


Rev.   Robert  Nassau 

natives  built  a  small  hospital,  to  which  a  dispensary  has  been 
added. 

From  this  point  Dr.  Good  made  several  tours  of  explora- 
tion into  the  interior,  in  furtherance  of  the  plan  of  the 
society  to  open  a  chain  of  stations  extending  far  inland. 
Accompanied  by  native  carriers  only,  he  crossed  the  forest 
belt  and  journeyed  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles, 
choosing  a  mission  site  at  an  altitude  of  eighteen  hundred 
feet,  a  place  called  by  the  natives  Efulen  (a  mingling). 
Missionaries  were  sent  forth,  houses  built,  and  an  evangel- 


In  Darkest  Africa  421 

izing  itinerancy  of  the  surrounding  villages  was  early  en- 
gaged in. 

Dr.  Good  gave  the  Bulus  a  written  language,  a  primer, 
and  translations  of  the  four  gospels,  which  were  printed  by 
the  American  l^ible  Society.  Under  the  direction  of  the 
Board  he  had  made  several  exploring  trips  beyond  this 
interior  station,  and  after  returning  from  one  covering  four 
hundred  miles  of  travel  and  involving  unusual  hardship  and 
trial  he  succumbed  to  the  fever.  Greatly  beloved  for  his 
personal  qualities  and  honored  by  the  entire  Church  of  God 
for  the  heroic  work  he  accomplished,  his  labors  will  continue 
to  bear  fruit  in  the  progress  of  the  evangelization  of  Africa. 

The  missionaries  at  Efulen  opened  a  station  at  one  of  the 
locations  he  selected,  Elatte,  seventy-five  miles  eastward. 
Here  also  permaneiit  buildings  have  been  constructed  and 
the  foundations  laid  in  educational  and  evangelistic  work 
for  another  center  of  Gospel  light  and  life.  The  funds  were 
provided  for  a  station  still  farther  be\-ond  by  a  Christian 
lady  in  Scotland  who  was  interested  in  the  account  given  by 
Dr.  Good  of  a  village  of  dwarfs  he  visited  in  his  last 
journey.  Although  of  a  migratoi}-  nature,  missionaries  have 
been  sent  to  their  villages  to  open  a  station  and  induce  some 
of  them  to  come  to  the  educational  institutions  on  the 
coast  for  preparation  for  evangelistic  work  among  their 
people. 

When  there  seemed  little  opportunity  of  carr\-ing  out  the 
plan  of  opening  a  chain  of  mission  stations  to  the  interior  from 
the  more  northerly  coast  centers.  Dr.  Nassau  commenced 
operations  on  the  Ogowe  River,  in  1874,  at  Belambila,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  sea.  The  station  opened  met 
with  difficulties  in  tribal  disturbances  and  was  moved  to 
Kangwe  Hill.  Here  Dr.  Nassau  was  joined  by  his  sister,  the 
first  white  woman  to  enter  Ogowe,  and  from  this  outpost 
evangelistic  tours  were  made  by  boat  with  great  spiritual  suc- 
cess. The  Ogowe  had  been  entered  by  trading  steamers,  and 
the  expeditions  of  Count  de  Brazza  demonstrated  a  river  con- 
nection with  the  Congo  at   Stanley  Pool.     Three  churches 


422 


The  Flaming  Torch 


Avere  organized  from  the  native  converts  resulting  from  the 
labors  of  Dr.  Nassau  and  his  sister  Isabella,  and  afterward 
of  Dr.  Good  ;  but  owing  to  the  requirement  of  the  French 
government  that  only  that  language  should  be  used  in  the 
schools  a  portion  of  the  work  was  later  transferred  to  the 
Paris  Society. 

The  healthful,  vigorous  growth  of  the  work  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  Society  in  these  regions  is  due  to  the  well- 
directed  zeal  of  its  missionaries  in  the  early  utilization   of 


Church  at  Kangwe,  West  Coast 


indigenous  resources  and  agency.  As  soon  as  the\'  had  the 
key  to  the  understanding  of  the  people  through  their  own 
language  they  preached  the  Gospel  with  the  expectation  of 
the  immediate  results  that  followed,  promptly  organized  the 
converts  into  classes  for  work  as  well  as  worship,  and 
judiciously  selecting  the  best  material  specially  prepared  a 
native  ministry.  As  soon  as  they  were  able  to  bear  it  the 
burden  of  the  work  was  laid  upon  their  shoulders,  and  the 
foreign   missionaries  were  left  free  to  advance  educational 


In  Darkest  Africa  423 

interests  and  extend  toward  the  interior.     A  large  number 

of  men  and  women  have  entered  this  field,  and  many  have 

fallen  before  the  fever,  but  results  have  been  achieved  in  the 

salvation  of  many  souls  and  the  laying  of  foundations  for 

still  greater  future  success. 

One  of  the  most  healthful,  comparatively  speaking,  and 

interesting  portions  of  the  province  of  Angola  is  along  its 

southern    borders,   extending   into  the  king- 

.  Amongtne 

dom  of  Bihe.     In  this  region  the  temperature  Bailundu. 

ranges  from  forty  to  ninety  degrees,  the  soil 

is  fertile  and  capable  of  producing  not  only  the  variety  of 

tropical  fruits,  but  also  fruits  and  vegetables  of  the  temperate 

zone.     The  people  belong  to  the  great  Bantu  family,  live  in 

well-built  "  wattle  and  daub  "  houses   grouped    in   villages, 

are  clothed  in  a  measure,  and  in  the  main  have  been  friendly 

to  the  white  man. 

With  Benguela,  on  the  coast,  as  a  base  of  operations  the 
missionaries  of  the  American  Board  entered  this  field  in  the 
autumn  of  1880.  The  first  interior  station  was  opened  at 
Bailundu,  one  hundred  and  ninety  miles  from  the  coast, 
and  three  years  later,  pushing  on  into  the  Bihe  country, 
Kamundongo  became  an  evangelizing  center,  and  four  years 
later  Chisamba,  in  the  same  kingdom. 

It  was  not,  however,  Avithout  difficulty  and  the  cost  of 
life  and  labor  that  this  work  was  established.  Although 
favored  by  the  Portuguese  government,  and  welcomed  by 
the  friendly  brown  people,  the  white  traders  proved  an 
obstacle  so  formidable  that  their  intrigues  finally  resulted  in 
the  expulsion  of  all  the  missionaries.  It  was  to  their  inter- 
est to  keep  the  natives  in  ignorance,  that  they  might  be  able 
to  buy  for  a  penny  what  was  worth  a  pound,  to  develop 
plantations  for  the  extension  of  the  rum  trade,  and  continue 
the  "contract  "  s)^stem  of  labor — simply  another  name  for 
the  slave  trade.  So  the  Bailundu  King  Kwikwi  was  bribed 
and  cajoled  into  a  hostility  that  resulted  in  a  decree  dis- 
missing the  missionaries  from  his  countn%  with  a  nine  days' 
limit  for  its  execution.    No  opportunity  of  appeal  being  per- 


424 


The  Flaming  Torch 


mitted,   the   missionaries   and   their  famihes  fled   from    the 
hostile  forces. 

Representations  were  made  to  the  governor  general  and 
government  at  Lisbon,  the  misrepresentations  corrected  in 


Woman  of  Bailundu 
the  native  mind,  and  a  return  invited,  and  after  an  enforced 
absence  of  fourteen  months  the  mission  families  reentered 
their  homes  in  the  Bailundu  country.  Their  return  was  the 
signal  of  popular  rejoicing,  and  what  was  intended  by  the 
enemy  as  their  overthrow  was  turned  to  good  account  in  the 
furtherance  of  the  Gospel. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


425 


Among  the  reinforcements  that  have  gone  to  the  front 
during  these  years  the  Canadian  Churches  have  suppHed  a 
quota  that  has  rendered  efficient  service,  Chisamba  Station 
being  manned  by  them. 

It  was  thought  best  to  construct  the  mission  houses,  in 
the  main,  "  native  fash "  until  the  work  was  well  es- 
tablished, giving  thus  more  time  to  the  study  of  the 
Mubundu.  The  gospels  of  Matthew,  Mark,  and  John,  a 
portion  of  the  Psalms,  and  a  primer  have  been  printed,  and 
the  mission  press  established  at  Bailundu,  where  the  first 
church  was  formed  in  1887.  Since  then  the  converts  have 
been  gathered  into  church  fellowship  at  every  station,  a 
purely  native  church,  with  their  own  officiary,  evangelists, 
and  native  pastor,  all  under  the  direction  of  the  missionaries, 
thus  wisely  laying  the  foundations  for  the  expansion  of  the 
work  along  the  most  effective  plan — the  evangelization 
of  Africa  by  the  Africans  !  With  the  awakening  of  their 
dormant  powers,  enlightenment  of  mind,  transformation  of 
spiritual  nature,  and  baptism  from  on  high  they  become 
rapidly  multiplied  flaming  evangels  of  salvation  in  the 
regions  of  heathen  "loom. 


426 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

Light  in  the  Valley  of  the  Congo 

HE  publication  of  Henry  M.  Stanley's 
letters  from  the  Congo  in   the   au- 
tumn of  1877  led  to  the  formation 
of  the  Livingstone  Inland  Mission, 
^D^V  rij^-'" ' "^'^?'Ilj  '  7|i^    ti'""^    they   became  the   pioneers   of 
Wv  T    I W      Christian    missions    in    the    Congo 

basin.  Their  first  station  was  at 
Palabala,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  but  at  an  elevation  of  about 
sixteen  hundred  feet.  The  friendly 
King  Kangampaka  gave  land  and  assistance,  and  the  first 
mission  houses  were  constructed  of  poles  and  mats  with 
thatched  roofs.  The  second  station,  Banza  Manteka,  inland 
about  sixty  miles,  was  opened  in  the  center  of  a  cluster  of 
native  villages,  composed  of  small  oblong-shaped  huts,  the 
only  opening  being  a  small  door  at  the  end,  serving  as  well 
for  window  and  chimney. 

The  early  years  of  the  mission  were  those  .of  struggle 
with  overwhelming  physical  and  moral  difficulties,  involv- 
ing the  loss  of  many  precious  lives.  Two  of  the  stations 
were  destroyed  by  fire,  Bemba  and  Palabala ;  but  their 
number  was  increased  to  seven,  and  persevering  devotion 
established  them  on  a  firm  basis.  In  the  third  year  of  its 
existence  this  mission  became  identified  with  the  East  Lon- 
don Mission  Institute,  and  came  under  the  personal  direc- 
tion of  Dr.  H.  Grattan  Guinness,  whose  successful  mission- 
ary movements  have  entered  three  continents. 

An  added  impetus  was  given  to  the  work  in  the  acquisi- 
tion of  many  new  friends,  among  them  Mrs.  Henry  Reed, 
of  Tasmania,  who  made  the  extension  of  the  mission  on  the 
upper  Congo  possible  by  the  gift  of  a  steamer,  the  Henry 


In  Darkest  Africa  427 

Reed.  Dr.  Sims  had  obtained  land  at  Lcopoldville  from 
Mr.  Stanley,  which  was  made  a  base  of  operations  for  the 
vast  extent  of  territory  now  open  to  them.  The  condition 
of  the  country  as  it  presented  itself  on  a  voyage  of  explora- 
tion is  well  described  by  Dr.  Sims,  who  wrote  from  the 
steamer: 

"  The  voyage,  of  which  at  the  moment  I  cannot  speak  in 
detail,  permitted  me  to  see  in  a  very  complete  way  the 
enormous  work  to  be  accomplished.  The  horrid  practice 
of  cannibalism  prevails  everywhere,  from  Bolobo  upward. 
One  poor  man  was  killed  the  Sunday  we  were  in  Mangala, 
and  three  while  we  were  absent.  When  we  remonstrated 
the  reply  was,  *  You  kill  j'our  goats  without  our  interfer- 
ence;  permit  us  also  to  kill  our  meat.'  The  roofs  of 
houses  are  ornamented  with  the  skulls  of  such  victims,  and 
about  the  Aruwimi  squares  and  circles  of  them  are  formed 
on  the  ground.  The  victims  are  cut  up  and  roasted  or 
boiled  at  discretion,  the  brains  and  face  being  chosen 
pieces ;  and  even  the  little  children  are  given  a  taste,  to  en- 
dear to  them  the  same  habits.  That  stretch  of  river  from 
the  Aruwimi  to  the  Falls  is  deserted  by  its  inhabitants, 
utterly  devastated  and  burned  by  the  natives  themselves,  so 
that  the  Arabs  may  find  neither  refuge  nor  food  in  their 
towns;  the  gardens  and  the  fishing  are  neglected,  and  the 
poor  people  flying  like  hunted  beasts  to  the  islands  and 
forests." 

It  was  in  1884  that  the  missions  were  transferred  to  the 
American  Baptists,  and  light-bearers  were  sent  forth  into 
these  regions  of  darkness  on  the  upper  river.  Land  was 
secured  and  four  stations  opened,  the  most  remote  at  Stan- 
ley Falls.  Already  spiritual  fruit  had  been  gathered  on  the 
stations  opened  earlier  on  the  lower  river,  in  several  in- 
stances seasons  of  spiritual  awakening  being  followed  by  a 
large  ingathering  of  converts. 

At  an  aggregate  expense  of  nearly  fifty  thousand  dollars 
a  year  the  Baptist  IMissionary  Union  is  fulfilling  the  trust 
committed    to    it    in    the    transfer    of   a    mission    that    had 


428 


The  Flaming  Torch 


cost  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  and  far 
more  in  many  precious  lives,  together  with  the  missionaries 
then  engaged  in  the  field.  This  was  an  unprecedented  gift 
of  opportunity  and  responsibility  from  one  nation  to  an- 
other. 

While  full  of  difficulties  arising  from  sickness  and  strife 
between  the  natives  and  the  State,  last  year  was  one  of  the 
best  in  spiritual  blessing.  There  were  about  fifty  converts 
at  Palabala,  over  two  hundred  at  Banza  Manteka  (where 
there  is  a  church  membership  of  seven    hundred  and  thirty- 


Matadi,   on  the  Congo 


nine),  while  the  more  recently  founded  missions  on  the  up- 
per river  have  shared  proportionately  in  the  spiritual  har- 
vest, where  much  of  it  has  been  gathered  by  converted 
native  agencies. 

The  missions  on  the  Congo  were  founded  and  transferred 
to  the  Baptist  Society,  but  Dr.  Guinness  and  his  associates 
of  East  London  Institute  did  not  therefore  feel  that  their 
work  was  at  an  end,  their  responsibility  for  Africa  fully 
met.  There  were  ever  present  in  their  minds  and  hearts, 
their  prayers  and  publications,  the  "regions  beyond,"  and 
they  felt  impelled  to  push  on  thither.     The  American   Bap- 


In  Darkest  Africa  429 

tists  had  quite  all  they  could  provide  for,  and  lieartily 
indorsed  their  next  Congo  project.  Their  attention  was 
directed  to  the  Balolos  by  the  return  to  England  of  Mis- 
sionary McKittrick  with  a  young  lad  of  that  tribe,  Bompole. 

The  Balolos  ("  people  of  iron  ")  were  a  strong  nation  that 
had  crowded  out  the  Bantus  of  the  south  bank  of  the  up- 
per Congo,  conquering  a  territory  five  times  as  large  as 
England.  It  occupies  the  "  Horseshoe  Bend  "  of  the  river, 
and  contains  a  population  estimated  at  ten  millions.  Gren- 
fell,  the  pioneer  of  the  English  Baptist  Mission,  in  the 
Peace  first  navigated  the  tributaries  of  the  Congo  that  in- 
tersect this  country,  and  found  a  people  superior  in  many 
respects  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  lower  Congo.  As  their 
name  indicates,  they  are  a  powerful  people.  They  are  agri- 
culturists, and  manufacture  their  own  tools  and  weapons  of 
war,  every  man  possessing  well-tempered  knives,  spear,  and 
shield.  The  village  blacksmith — for  the}'  live  in  villages 
where  the  forest  has  been  cleared  for  the  cultivation  of 
maize  and  mandioca — is  skillful  also  in  the  production  of 
the  many  ornaments  worn  by  the  people. 

After  an  interval  of  four  years,  in  1888  the  Congo  Balolo 
Mission  w^as  organized,  and  a  party  of  eight  volunteers 
went  forth,  led  by  McKittrick.  Among  those  who  imme- 
diately contributed  the  "  necessary  funds  "  his  countrymen 
were  represented  in  the  entire  cost  of  the  required  steamer, 
/"i,400;  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  of  Belfast 
promising  ;^5O0,  and  an  "  Irish  friend  "  sending  in  a  gift  of 
£9^0. 

The  steamer  Henry  /\eed  was  loaned  to  the  mission  for 
one  N'ear,  during  the  construction  and  launching  on  the 
river  of  the  Pioneer.  Four  central  stations  were  established 
in  the  heart  of  Balololand :  Lulonga,  at  the  junction  of 
the  river  Lulonga  and  the  Congo,  Borginga,  Ikam,  and 
Bongandanga,  the  latter  situated  no  less  than  a  thousand 
miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  Congo.  It  is  on  the  Lopori,  a 
tributary  of  the  Lulonga.  For  the  maintenance  of  a  base 
of  supplies  there   are    three   transport   stations:  at   Matadi, 


430  The  Flaming  Torch 

the  starting  point  of  the  railway  ;  Bamba,  rn  the  cataract 
region,  and  at  Leopoldville,  on  Stanley  Pool. 

Of  the  seventy  missionaries  who  have  freely  laid  down 
their  lives  for  Christ  and  his  Gospel  in  these  ten  years  that 
have  been  so  busily  employed  in  founding  these  missions 
twenty-three,  among  them  McKittrick,  have  been  called 
to  surrender  them  en  the  field.  There  are  now  forty  mis- 
sionaries at  work,  and  no  lack  of  volunteers  to  carry  for- 
ward the  present  plans  of  extension.  These  include  a  new 
station  beyond  Bongandanga,  and  one  on  the  river  Juapa. 

As  in  all  pioneer  missionary  work,  it  is  impossible  to  esti- 
mate what  has  been  accomplished.  The  material  improve- 
ments were  carried  forward  with  the  disadvantage  of  long 
distance  from  sources  of  supply.  The  Lulonga  language 
has  been  reduced  to  manuscript  and  the  gospels  of  Mat- 
thew and  John  printed,  as  also  a  grammar  and  vocabulary, 
an  outline  of  Bible  history,  smaller  Scripture  portions,  and 
a  small  book  of  Proverbs,  a  hymn  book,  and  a  primer  for 
the  schools.  To  the  steamer  Pioneer  have  been  added  the 
Evangelist  and  two  steel  canoes  for  evangelistic  tours.  On 
each  station  there  are  numbers  of  native  converts,  and  of 
these  several  evangelists  have  already  been  trained  for  effi- 
cient service.  One  of  the  early  converts,  Lofanza,  baptized 
by  Dr.  Harry  Guinness  on  his  visit  to  the  Congo  work,  car- 
ried to  England  his  sweet  Christian  spirit  and  from  thence 
took  his  "  departure." 

The  great  need  of  Gospel  work  among  this  people  is 
daily  apparent  to  the  missionaries.  Some  of  these,  home  on 
furlough,  have  described  some  of  the  dark  places  of  these 
habitations  of  cruelt)\  They  have  witnessed  the  binding  of 
slaves  whose  heads  were  to  grace  the  funeral  of  a  chief,  and 
women  and  children  taking  part  in  the  feast  of  human 
flesh.  Like  other  African  tribes,  they  have  a  belief  in  the 
one  God,  the  Creator,  and  have  no  idols,  though  many 
charms  connected  with  their  superstitions.  They  have  a 
vague  idea  of  the  Trinity,  represented  by  their  Lianza,  his 
niece,  Nsonejo,  and  Nzaka  Nzaka,  the  Spirit.      They  have 


Lofanza— Congo-Bolobo  Steamship  "  Pioneer 


In  Darkest  Africa  433 

also   traditional   accounts   of  the  fall  of  man  and  the  flood. 

How  long  shall  the  nations  of  heathen  Africa  grope  in  the 

dark  while  we  hold  the   light   of  truth   in    the  revelation  of 

Jesus  Christ  ? 

Coteinporaneous,  or  nearl)'  so,  with    the   founding   of  the 

Livingstone  Inland  Mission,  the  English  Baptist  Society  was 

providentially    led    to    send    missionaries    to 
,       „  ^,  .  ^    .  .  ^       English      Bap- 

the  Congo.      1  he  pioneer  ot  this  movement,        tist  Missions 

George  Grenfell,  in  the  extensive  explora- 
tions of  the  tributaries  of  the  Congo  that  enter  it  from 
the  north,  has  not  only  added  largely  to  the  scientific 
knowledge  of  the  country,  but  has  opened  the  path  for  the 
onward  march  of  the  Church  into  a  country  densely  popu- 
lated by  interesting  peoples  previously  unknown.  The 
record  of  the  many  years  of  service  of  this  faithful  mission- 
ary, his  scholarly  achievements  in  the  mastery  of  native 
languages,  and  numerous  eventful  voyages  in  the  Peace 
among  unknown  peoples  on  African  rivers,  will  not  be 
closed  while  the  missions  of  the  Baptist  Society  on  the 
Congo  continue  their  successful  labors.  His  associate  on 
the  first  journc}-,  and  sharer  in  many  trials  and  perils  in  the 
early  years  of  the  mission,  Comber,  not  only  gave  his  own 
life,  but  the  lives  of  his  entire  famil)-,  including  a  sister  and 
brother,  were  ended  on  earth  by  the  inhospitable  climate. 

Commencing  in  1878  the  first  impetus  to  the  work  was 
the  gift  of  Mr.  Arthington,  of  Leeds,  of  ;!^i,ooo,  followed 
later  by  others  from  the  same  source  for  the  opening  of  a 
Baptist  Mission  on  the  Congo.  A  station  was  opened  and 
a  substantial  house  built  at  San  Salvador,  seventy  miles 
from  Congo  Mouth.  The  barrier  imposed  by  the  conduct 
of  traders,  who  endeavored  to  keep  out  all  possibilit}-  of  en- 
lightenment, is  illustrated  by  the  fact  that  thirteen  attempts 
were  made,  in  one  of  which  Comber  received  a  bullet 
wound,  before  they  were  able  to  proceed  toward  the  inte- 
rior. They  finally  were  enabled  to  follow  in  the  wake  of 
Stanley's  march  with  boats  to  the  Pool,  and  on   his  advice 

sent    to  England  for   a  steel    boat   to  navigate  the  "  middle 
28 


434 


The  Flaming  Torch 


passage,"  and  Crudington  brought  out  the  Plymouth.  The 
great  explorer,  who  was  now  building  Congo  State,  also 
gave  them  a  mission  site  at  Stanley  Pool.  Among  the  ear- 
liest reinforcements  was  W.  Holman  Bently,  who  among 
other  labors  proved  of  great  value  to  the  mission  in  the 
production  of  a  grammar  and  dictionary  and  in  the  trans- 
lation of  the  Scriptures. 

As  soon  as  the  line  of  transport  to  the  Pool  was  open 
Grenfell  returned  to  England  to  superintend  the  building  of 
the  steamer  Peace,  for  service  on  the  upper  rivers.  Two 
engineers  sent  to  construct  it,  after  its  transportation  to  the 


Mission  Steamer  on  the  Congo 

Pool  on  the  heads  and  shoulders  of  men,  died  of  fevet  ;  a 
third  immediately  sent  shared  the  same  fate;  and  Grenfell 
was  obliged  to  put  it  together  himself. 

The  mission  premises  at  Stanley  Pool  were  destroyed  by 
fire  in  1886,  but  were  quickly  rebuilt  by  the  prompt  finan- 
cial response  of  its  friends.  With  the  same  spirit  of  sacri- 
fice the  many  vacancies  caused  by  death  have  been 
promptly  filled  by  reinforcements. 

Good  work  has  been  accomph'shed  at  ten  mission  sta- 
tions, now  well  manned  and  served  by  two  mission  steam- 
ers. There  are  several  organized  churches,  half  a  thousand 
children  under  instruction,  and  a  successful  work  is  in  prog- 
ress above  and  below  the  rapids. 


In   Darkest  Africa 


435 


MukimbungLi  was  occupied  by  Swedish  missionaries  when 
the    Livingstone    Inhmd    Mission    was    trans- 
ferred  to  the   American   Baptists,  and  it  was 


Swedish    Mis- 
sions  on  the 


mutually  agreed  that  they  should  retain  that         Cong-o 

station    and    continue    their    labors    on    the 

Congo   under    their  own   organization.     The   territor5'   they 


Children  of  Swedish  Mission 

occupy  is  a  populous  strip  of  countr\'  between  the  north 
bank  of  the  lower  Congo  and  the  French  possessions. 
For  twelve  years  they  have  been  reinforced  by  the  Swedish 
Missionary  Society,  a  score  of  whom  have  laid  down  their 
lives  in  the  unhealthy  climate.  Upward  of  forty  mission- 
aries are  now  at  work  or  absent  on  furlough,  and  they  have 


436  The  Flaming  Torch 

increased  the  number  of  stations  to  five,  with  twenty-two 
substations,  where  the  work  is  mainly  carried  on  by  native 
evangelists  and  teachers  who  have  been  trained  in  these 
missions.  This  force  of  half  a  hundred  zealous  native 
workers  have  been  greatly  blessed  in  their  labors  for  the 
salvation  of  their  people. 

The  instruction  of  children  is  given  the  prominence  its 
importance  demands,  those  in  the  mission  schools  now 
numbering  over  a  thousand.  They  have  also  a  seminary 
for  the  training  of  a  native  ministry,  and  the  largest  print- 
ing press  on  the  Congo,  which  recently  turned  out  an  edi- 
tion of  six  thousand  copies  of  the  New  Testament,  trans- 
lated into  Fiot  by  one  of  their  own  missionaries.  From 
this  press  is  also  issued  a  m.onthly  paper,  entitled  Miiisaimc 
J\Iiaycngc  ("  Messenger  of  Peace  "),  that  for  six  years  has 
been  carrying  the  glad  tidings  to  the  people  in  their  own 
language.  An  annual  almanac  is  published,  and  a  number 
of  books  have  been  printed  and  bound,  all  by  converted, 
trained  natives. 

The  spiritual  interests  of  the  mission  have  responded  to 
the  faithful  labor  and  patience  of  these  noble  missionaries, 
under  the  divine  blessing,  and,  although  numbers  have  re- 
moved to  other  parts  and  many  have  fallen  victims  to  the 
"  sleepy  sickness,"  the  communicants  number  over  six  hun- 
dred, and  there  is  a  multitude  who  have  fully  forsaken  their 
idols  and  are  receiving  instruction.  This  is  one  of  the 
most  persevering  and  hopeful  agencies  at  work  on  the 
Congo. 

The  Christian  and  Missionary  Alliance  laid  the  founda- 
tion for  a  great  work  on  the  Congo  through  the  devoted 
labors  of  their  pioneer  missionary  there.  Rev.  M.  Hunter 
Reed.  His  courage  and  zeal,  wisdom  of  plan  and  patience 
in  execution,  and  tireless  labors  in  every  branch  of  miission 
work  opened  the  way  for  the  recruits  that  have  since  been 
sent  to  that  field. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


437 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

The  Gospel  in  Sooth  Central  Africa 

ISSIONS  to  the  Barotse  are  insepa- 
rably linked  in  the  mind  of  Christen- 
dom with  the  name  of  AI.  Coillard. 
To  the  special  work  to  which  he  has 
devoted  his  life  he  served  an  appren- 
ticeship in  Basutoland   half  as  lon^j 
as  was  that  of  Moses  in  the  wilder- 
ness.    I    have    already  referred    to 
the  work   of  the    Paris    Society   in 
connection  with  South  African  mis- 
sions. Their  training  school  at  Mori- 
jah  prepared  the  native  workers  for 
this  far-away   Barotse   Mission,  which    was    really   the    out- 
growth of  the  zeal  and  self-sacrifice  of  the  native  Christians 
themselves. 

When  their  missionaries  had  been  driven  out  by  wars 
they  not  only  remained  true  to  their  faith,  but  so  greatly 
were  their  labors  blessed  of  God  that  on  returning  their 
missionaries  found  increase  of  native  agency  and  great  exten- 
sion of  the  work.  Such  a  spirit  soon  sought  opportunit}- 
for  missionary  endeavor.  Asser,  a  remarkable  man,  leader 
of  the  catechists,  accomj^'anied  by  a  companion,  made  a 
journey  to  the  far  country,  and  on  his  return  his  reports 
were  so  favorable,  his  appeals  so  impassioned,  that  the  Ba- 
suto  Christians  spontaneously  contributed  ;^500  to  send 
forth  missionaries.  The  first  expedition  to  respond  to  the 
call  that  had  been  brought  by  Asser  from  the  heathen  chiefs 
was  halted  and  turned  back  from  the  Transvaal  by  the 
Boers. 

Francois  Coillard's  connection  with  this  new  missionary 
enterprise    began    with    the   Ban\-ai    expedition,  which    left 


438  The  Flaming  Torch 

the  Leribe  Station,  Basutoland,  in  the  spring  of  1877.  Sev- 
enteen of  his  twenty  years  of  labor  among  this  people  had 
been  shared  by  his  wife,  a  daughter  of  the  Scotch  mission- 
ary Bishop  Mackenzie,  and  they  had  planned  a  return  to 
Europe  for  rest  when  this  call  to  a  perilous  journey  came. 

They  were  accompanied  by  their  niece,  Elsie,  a  girl  of 
eighteen,  Asser,  and  three  other  Basuto  catechists,  with 
their  families,  and  four  wagon  drivers.  After  they  had 
crossed  the  Limpopo  River  they  plunged  into  the  almost 
trackless  wilderness,  cutting  their  way  through  forest  and 
prairie  grass.  The  difficulties  of  travel  were  increased  by 
the  loss  of  some  of  their  cattle  by  disease,  and  but  for  the 
dauntless  courage  of  their  leader,  that  had  carried  them 
through  perils  of  wild  beasts  and  swollen  rivers,  they  would 
have  been  destroyed  by  a  treacherous  Mashona  chief  who 
intercepted  them.  His  demand  for  gunpowder  was  not  ap- 
peased by  other  gifts,  and  his  savage  warriors  surrounded 
the  little  band  as  they  were  preparing  for  a  day's  journey. 
The  clanger  became  so  imminent  the  Basutos  seized  their 
guns,  crying,  "  We  will  die  in  defense  of  our  wives  and  chil- 
dren !  "  But  they  were  restrained  by  M.  Coillard,  who  re- 
minded them  of  their  own  helplessness  in  the  presence  of 
such  overwhelming  numbers  of  savages,  and  with  the  assur- 
ance, "  They  that  be.  with  us  are  more  than  they  that  be 
with  them,"  gave  the  order  to  trek.  As  this  command  to 
move  forward  was  obeyed  a  shower  of  weapons  was  ex- 
pected, but  the  Mashona  warriors  fell  back  as  they  proceeded 
on  their  perilous  journey. 

Only  a  few  weeks  after  passing  through  this  danger  they 
were  seized  by  a  band  of  Lobengula's  warriors  and  carried 
captive  to  Buluwayo.  That  powerful  South  Central  African 
king  was  then  in  the  zenith  of  his  power,  and  claimed  do- 
minion over  the  surrounding  tribes,  among  them  the  Ban- 
yai,  to  whom  he  was  unwilling  that  they  should  convey  any 
enlightenment. 

During  their  long  detention  in  the  capital  of  "  Lobengula 
the  Cruel  "  they  met  some  refugees  from  the   north  of  the 


In  Darkest  Africa 


439 


Zambesi,  who  had  fled  from  their  country,  then  in  a  revolu- 
tion, during  which  many  were  slain.  They  were  Barotse, 
and  spoke  Lesuto,  the  native  tongue  so  well  understood  by 
the  missionaries,  a  language  which  the  conquering  Makololo 
had  introduced  on  the  Zambesi.  From  them  came  the  call 
to  which  the  Barotse  Mission  was  the  response.  Seeing  the 
missionaries  held  captive  for  months  and  treated  with  indig- 
nity by  Lobcngula,  whose  cruelties  they  were  compelled  to 
witness,  even  to  the   sncrificc  of  fifteen  human    lives  at  his 


Encampment  on  the  Plains 

national  feast,  these  representatives  of  the  northern  tribes 
said  to  them,  "  Wiiy  do  you  not  come  to  us  and  save  our 
nation  ?  " 

But  the  way  did  not  immediately  open  to  their  far-off  land. 
When  they  were  permitted  to  take  their  departure,  after 
perils  and  privations  extending  over  nearly  a  year,  they  trav- 
eled southward  and  found  a  safe  haven  among  the  mission- 
aries at  Shoshong,  and  a  cordial  welcome  from  King  Khama. 
How  different  the  unaffected,  loving  greeting  of  this  Chris- 
tian king  from  the  harsh  treatment  they  had  received  from 
Lobcngula  !     What  a  contrast  between  these  peaceful  settle- 


440  The  Flaming  Torch 

ments  of  contented  farmers,  who  had  found  that  "  one  plow 
was  better  than  six  wives,"  and  the  devastated  territory  of  a 
tyrant  who  could  slay  his  people  at  will,  but  could  not  gov- 
ern them,  whose  subjects  were  never  without  their  weapons 
of  war,  for  "when  not  defending  themselves,  they  were  slay- 
ing others  !  "  All  the  difference  is  due  to  the  coming  of  the 
''  publishers  of  glad  tidings  of  peace,"  for  "  the  wilderness 
and  the  solitary  place  shall  be  glad  for  them  ;  and  the  desert 
shall  rejoice,  and  blossom  as  the  rose." 

A  short  excursion  was  taken  into  the  Barotse  country  from 
Shoshong,  and  after  a  brief  sojom-n  at  Shesheke,  where  they 
"  broke  ground  "  for  Gospel  work,  the  expedition  returned 
to  the  coast,  and  the  opportunity  for  the  contemplated  visit 
to  Europe  was  improved. 

After  more  than  two  years  in  Europe,  representing  the 
need  of  a  mission  to  the  Barotse,  and  securing  funds  for  that 
purpose,  the  Coillards  returned  to  Basutoland  in  1882,  only 
to  find  that  the  devastating  wars  had  left  the  people  in  such 
temporal  and  spiritual  poverty  as  required  their  labor  there 
for  a  year  and  a  half.  There  came  to  their  assistance  at 
Leribe  Station  the  first  foreign  missionaries  of  the  Walden- 
sian  Church,  that  company  of  poor  but  noble  Christians  who 
maintained  their  loyalty  through  the  Dark  Ages,  though 
compelled  to  hide  away  in  the  mountain  fastnesses  of 
Italy. 

In  January,  1884,  ^^^^  second  expedition  started  for  the 
Barotse  valley,  and  after  enduring  many  hardships  and  sur- 
mounting innumerable  difficulties  arrived  at  Shesheke  seven 
months  later.  After  opening  a  station  here,  and  of  neces- 
sity awaiting  the  return  of  their  wagons,  sent  to  Pretoria 
for  supplies,  they  pressed  onward  toward  the  "great  place" 
of  the  king  of  tiie  Barotse.  This  part  of  the  journey  was 
full  of  interest  and  adventure  over  a  country  governed  by 
fifteen  chiefs,  who  resided  at  Shesheke.  The  turbulent  con- 
dition of  the  heathen  population  was  well  described  by  the 
daughter  of  Sebetuane,  who  he  had  installed  as  queen  in 
the  second  capital  of  the  kingdom,  Nalolo. 


In  Darkest  Africa  441 

Maibiba,  in  whose  presence  not  even  her  husband  may 
sit,  and  who  is  approached  with  the  royal  salutation,  "  Tau- 
tara"  ("Great  Lion  "),  said,  sadly,  when  she  graciously  re- 
ceived the  missionaries,  "  Ours  is  a  land  of  blood.  Kings 
and  chiefs  succeed  each  other  here  like  shadows.  They  are 
never  allowed  to  grow  old.  If  you  return  in  a  few  months 
shall  we  still  be  in  power?  After  all,  one  might  envy  the 
Makelaka  ['  the  serf  population  ']  ;  revolutions  do  not  touch 
thLMii.  Ah,"  she  added,  sighing,  and  addressing  herself  to 
her  counselors,  "  Rubosi  is  no  longer  king,  and  has  fled  for 
his  life  ;  but  if  he  has  been  received  by  people  like  these  he 
has  nothing  to  regret." 

The  missionaries  had  been  traveling  through  a  valley 
sprinkled  with  the  graves  of  Barotse  kings,  surrounded  by  a 
strong  inclosure  of  beautiful  reed  mats,  shaded  by  magnifi- 
cent clumps  of  trees,  each  one  guarded  by  chiefs  and  retinue 
appointed  for  the  purpose.  In  every  way  the  king  dead 
for  many  generations  past  or  recently  assassinated  is  treated 
with  the  deference  demanded  by  a  live  sovereign.  They 
present  him  with  offerings  of  milk  and  honey  and  fine 
clothes,  bid  him  farewell  when  they  depart  on  a  journe3^ 
and  salute  him  and  tell  him  the  news  on  their  return  ;  a 
touching  illustration  of  their  belief  in  the  future  life,  and  a 
cry  for  light  on  the  pathway  that  leads  to  heaven. 

After  passing  through  the  capital,  Lealu\-i,  almost  totally 
destroyed  by  the  recent  revolution,  they  arrived  at  the  fu- 
ture site  of  the  mission,  Sefula,  nineteen  miles  beyond. 

On  the  return  of  Rubosi  from  exile  and  his  accession  to 
power  he  took  the  name  of  Lewanika,  by  which  he  has 
since  been  known.  Something  of  the  independence  of  his 
character  manifested  itself  on  the  occasion  of  his  meeting 
the  missionaries  who  had  braved  so  many  perils  to  bring 
the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  to  his  people.  As  their  boats 
approached  the  town  of  his  temporary  abode  on  his  pilgrim- 
age to  the  graves  of  his  ancestors  a  messenger  intercepted 
them  with  the  king's  command  to  ascertain  who  and  what 
they  were.     "  Soon  after  a  boat,  covered  with  a  tent  of  mats, 


442 


The  Flaming  Torch 


glided  alongside,  and  a  man  of  about  thirty-five  glided  out 
of  it.  He  was  strong,  well-built,  and  intelligent-looking, 
with  prominent  eyes  and  pendulous  lower  lip.  His  only 
clothing  consisted  of  the  skins  of  small  wild  animals,  at- 
tached in  bundles  around  his  loins.  He  held  out  his  hand, 
smiling,  '  Lumela  moruti  oa  ka  ntate  '  ['  I  greet  thee,  my 
missionary,  my  father']."  He  made  a  few  inquiries  concern- 
ing their  health  and  travels,  attested  his  hospitality  by  shar- 
ing a  roast  goose  with  them,  and  made  an  appointment  to 
meet  them  at  the  capital  after  he  should  have  completed  his 
pilgrimage. 

Beginning  at  the  very   foundation,  the  establishment  of 


A  Barotse  Hut 


this  far-away  station  of  necessity  required  much  patient  toil, 
but  the  daily  routine  of  building  and  planting,  teaching  and 
preaching,  was  faithfully  continued,  and  the  mission  was  re- 
inforced by  the  Paris  Society. 

The  utter  moral  degradation  of  tlie  people  among  whom 
they  labored  required  Christian  fortitude  and  unwavering 
faith  in  their  divine  call  to  liberate  them  from  their  bondage 
of  superstition,  ignorance,  and  savage  debauchery.  The 
slight  value  placed  upon  human  life,  none  at  all  upon  that  of 
children,  who  were  cruelly  killed,  often  for  no  other  reason 
than  that  they  cried  when  in  pain,  the  entire  absence  of 
home  life  and  slight  regard  for  the  marriage  relation,  and 


In  Darkest  Africa  443 

the  cruelties  of  their  system  of  slavery  form  the  outline  of  a 
picture  of  heathen  degradation  too  horrible  to  present  in 
detail.  To  inculcate  ideas  of  humanity,  justice,  and  good- 
ness, to  eradicate  the  various  forms  of  sorcery,  and  the 
crimes  engendered  thereby,  to  be  ministers  of  mercy,  to  pro- 
tect the  weak,  and  with  boldness  withstand  the  wrong,  were 
a  portion  of  the  allotted  task  of  these  pioneers  in  the  depths 
of  darkest  heathenism. 

But  these  bearers  of  the  light  of  truth  into  these  habita- 
tions of  cruelty  never  faltered  nor  turned  back.  Sickness  and 
death  visited  them,  discouragements  on  account  of  the  slow 
growth  of  the  work  assailed  them,  human  aid  often  utterly 
failed,  yet  they  kept  the  beacon  lights  burning,  and  were  re- 
joiced by  the  tokens  of  the  progress  of  a  moral  reformation 
in  the  nation  and  the  salvation  of  individucd  souls. 

The  heaviest  trial  of  the  many  \-ears  of  toil  and  suffering 
that  had  come  to  the  faithful  minister  of  Christ,  around 
whom  this  work  centered,  was  the  death  of  Madame  Coillard. 
She  had  literally  worn  her  life  away  in  devoted  service  when 
the  fever  opened  the  door  to  the  rest  and  reward  that  awaited 
her.  Thirty  years  before  at  their  marriage  she  had  said,  "  I 
have  come  to  Africa  to  do  the  will  of  God  with  }'Ou,  zvhat- 
cvcr  it  may  be,  and  tvJicrcvcr  it  may  be  ;  and  remember  this, 
wherever  God  may  c^ll  you,  you  shall  never  find  me  cross- 
ing your  path  of  duty."     She  had  never  wavered. 

In  October,  1862,  Vl.  Coillard  realized  his  hope  of  found- 
ing a  mission  station  in  the  capital  of  Lewanika,  Lealuyi, 
the  fourth  to  be  opened.  The  king  himself  was  often 
touched  by  the  preaching  of  the  word.  His  judgment  was 
convinced  of  the  evil  of  the  customs  he  followed,  but  he 
lacked  strength  of  moral  character  to  break  away  from  them. 
He  oft  confessed  he  had  been  moved  almost  to  tears  by  the 
earnest  appeals,  the  h\'mns  and  prayers  of  the  missionaries. 
He  "  did  many  things  "  like  Herod  of  old,  but,  like  him.  did 
not  do  the  only  thing  that  could  save  him — forsake  his  sins 
and  receive  the  Saviour. 

During  the  twelve  years'  progress  of  this  mission  decided 


444 


The  Flaming  Torch 


improvement  has  been  manifested  in  its  heathen  surround- 
ings. The  prohibition  of  rum  and  the  slave  trade,  the  dis- 
continuance of  the  barbarous  practice  of  "smeHing  out" 
witches  and  condemning  them  to  torture,  tlie  value  placed 
upon  human  life,  and  respect  for  the  rights  of  property,  are 
some  of  the  outward  signs  of  which  these  faithful,  self-sacri- 
ficing workers  have  accomplished,  under  God's  blessing,  in 
the  nation  itself. 

M.  Coillard  reported  last  year  eight  European  mission- 
aries, seven  ladies  (doubtless  the  most  valuable  missionaries 
in  these  pioneer  days  of  patient  teaching),  and  six  native 
evangelists  and  their  wives.  These  occupy  five  stations, 
with  schools,  the  nucleus  of  churches  in  Christian  con- 
verts, one  school  for  evangelistic  training,  and  one  industrial 
school.  These  latter  are  of  vast  importance  among  barbar- 
ous heathen,  who  need  to  be  taught  the  first  principles  of 
civilization  as  well  as  of  Christianity,  and  will  prove  large 
factors  in  the  development  of  a  work  that  has  successfully 
passed  through  its  pioneer  days,  and  has  commenced  to  see 
the  unfoldings  of  a  glorious  future  of  Gospel  light  and  lib- 
erty for  the  dwellers  in  the  depths  of  the  Black  Continent. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


445 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

Mission  to  Garenganze 

(O  the  northward  of  the  Barotse  empire, 
in  the  country  of  Garenganze,  south- 
east of  Lake  Tanganyika,  a  sohtar}- 
missionary  took  his  journey  in  1886. 
j  The  mission  of  Frederick  Stanley 
'  Arnot  has  in  its  history  demon- 
strated the  increase  of  difficulties 
attendant  upon  planting  a  station 
far  from  the  base  of  supplies  and  in 
an  unsettled  country,  but  it  was  a  manifestation  of  his 
personal  heroism  and  of  the  heroic  fidelity  of  the  rein- 
forcements that  during  these  years  have  rallied  to  his 
standard. 

The  large  territory  he  entered,  now  a  portion  of  the  Congo 
Free  State,  had  a  history  known  only  through  the  violent 
rule  of  a  heathen  king,  Msiri.  His  was  a  remarkable  career 
— from  the  son  of  a  black  trader  to  the  absolute  ruler  of  a 
large  and  populous  territory  !  His  father,  Kalasa,  lived  in 
Nuyanembo,  a  hundred  miles  eastward  of  Lake  Tanganyika, 
and  numbers  of  native  traders  came  to  him  for  the  purchase 
of  copper.  He  made  frequent  trading  trips  to  Garenganze, 
and  on  one  occasion  sent  the  little  caravan  in  charge  of  his 
son,  Msiri.  This  young  chief  had  possessed  himself  of  four 
guns,  the  foundation  of  his  fortunes,  and  finding  on  his  ar- 
rival in  the  Garenganze  (or  Katanga)  country  that  his  father's 
friend,  the  old  king,  was  at  war  with  some  of  his  northern 
neighbors,  he  hastened  to  his  assistance.  The  invading 
enemy  had  never  before  heard  the  sound  of  firearms,  and 
were  so  appalled  at  the  reports  of  the  rifles  and  the  results 
in  their  midst  that  they  took  to  their  heels  and  did  not  stop 
until  they  were  well  out  of  the  country. 


446  The  Flaming  Torch 

This  exploit  captivated  the  old  chief,  who  loaded  Msiri 
with  ivory  and  urged  his  early  return.  The  aspiring  young 
warrior  did  not  forget  the  invitation,  for  he  returned  the 
next  year,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  children  and  as 
many  of  his  friends  as  he  could  induce  to  embark  in  the 
enterprise.  As  the  feebleness  of  age  increased,  the  old  king 
appointed  Msiri  his  successor,  presenting  him  with  the  shell 
that  symbolized  supreme  authority,  and  installing  him  as 
king. 

Immediately  Msiri  proved  himself  to  be  a  black  Napoleon. 
He  ordered  the  instant  execution  of  all  who  opposed  him, 
carried  on  aggressive  warfare  with  the  surrounding  tribes, 
even  defying  the  powerful  chief  Kosembe  to  the  eastward, 
and  rapidly  added  to  his  possessions.  With  the  expansion  of 
his  domain  he  saw  the  necessity  of  opening  up  a  trade  that 
would  give  him  war  materials,  and  having  heard  vague 
rumors  of  a  west  coast  he  dispatched  a  native  exploring  ex- 
pedition to  discover  it.  The  news  of  its  progress  reached 
the  Portuguese  trader,  Silva  Porto,  who  equipped  a  trad- 
ing caravan  that  supplied  Msiri  with  powder  and  guns  in 
exchange  for  ivory.  Having  thus  opened  trade  westward 
he  defied  his  powerful  eastern  neighbors  and  continued  to 
carry  out  his  policy  of  forcible  expansion. 

The  construction  of  his  court  was  unique  even  for  central 
Africa.  Each  of  the  minor  chiefs  was  supposed  to  have 
some  relative  married  to  the  king,  and  these  wives  were 
their  "friends  at  court"  through  whom  all  communications 
were  made.  Msiri's  w  ives  were  therefore  his  officers  of  state. 
The  capital  of  this  trader-king  was  for  many  years  a  great 
trade  center.  There  could  be  found  representatives  from 
trading  houses  as  far  north  as  Uganda,  from  Lake  Tangan- 
yika to  the  eastward,  from  the  far  western  coast,  and  all 
through  the  basin  of  the  Zambesi  southward. 

His  country  was  productive  of  abundance  of  rice,  corn, 
and  sugar  cane,  and  its  copper  mines,  worked  on  really  sci- 
entific principles,  were  far-famed.  In  the  course  of  his  travels 
Missionary  Arnot  frequently  heard   of  this  powerful   king. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


447 


and  at  Balunda  he  met  a  large  company  of  his  people,  sent 
as  an  embassy  to  his  brother-in-law,  Coimba,  who  lived  at 
Chiondu.  Three  years  before  this  man  had  received  a  New 
Testament  from  a  missionary,  had  become  deeply  interested, 
and  desired  more  instruction,  and  Arnot  visited  him.  He 
had  many  conversations  with  Coimba,  who  finally  declared 
that  he  would  live  "  according  to  the  Book." 

Coimba  showed  him  a  letter  from  Msiri,  written  in  Portu- 
guese and  containing  an  earnest  appeal  to  Coimba  to  send 


The  Entrance  to  the  Palace 


him  some  white  men  if  he  knew  any.  "  It  was  as  traders 
that  he  wanted  white  men,"  wrote  Arnot  ;  "  but  I  felt  that  I 
had  something  better  than  even  good  trade,  which,  if  Msiri 
could  only  comprehend,  he  would  gladly  receive.  Coimba 
was  delighted  with  my  purpose  to  go  thither,  and  sent  for  a 
slave  who  knew  the  country,  and  who  had  been  to  the  place 
where  Livingstone  died,  to  show  me  the  way,"  The  jour- 
ney, with  its  difficulties  of  refractory  carriers  and  hostility 
of  chiefs  of  intervening  territory,  occupied  eight  months  of 
travel  and  adventure,  and  on  his  arrival  he  was  kept  waiting 


448  The  Flaming  Torch 

until  several  secret  tests  of  his  sincerity  were  made,  among 
them  the  soaking  of  a  bit  of  bark  in  native  medicine,  the 
soundness  of  the  bark  attesting  that  the  traveler''s  heart  was 
sound. 

Msiri  was  then  advanced  in  years,  but  as  the  visitor  ap- 
proached the  king  arose  and  welcomed  him  with  an  em- 
brace. He  knew  of  Livingstone's  approach  from  the  east, 
of  his  death  at  Ilala,  and  was  much  interested  when  told  that 
Arnot  was  from  the  same  country  and  was  also  a  man  of 
peace.  He  had  many  interviews  with  the  king,  and  one  day 
said  to  him,  "Great  and  mighty  chief  as  you  are  in  the  e}'es 
of  men,  in  the  sight  of  God  there  is  no  difference  between 
you  and  the  poorest  slave  in  your  country,  and  you  need 
God's  mercy  just  as  he  does."  He  was  visibly  affected, 
and  for  a  few  minutes  it  seemed  uncertain  what  the  result 
might  be.  Then  with  an  effort  he  leaned  forward  and  said, 
thoughtfully,  "  It  must  be  so  if  God  is  as  great  as  you  say; 
and  if  he  is  so  high  above  us  all,  then  we  must  be  all  the 
same  in  his  sight." 

Arnot's  appeal  brought  reinforcements  to  open  a  mission 
and  funds  for  their  long  journey  from  Benguela,  on  the 
southwest  coast.  The}' commenced  by  applying  themselves 
to  the  mastery  of  the  Buba  language,  the  vernacular  of  the 
common  people,  and  gathered  a  class  of  little  children  to  in- 
struct and  be  instructed.  It  was  while  dressing  the  sores  of 
one  of  these  who  was  afflicted,  as  were  a  number  of  others, 
with  a  loathsome  disease,  that  one  of  the  missionaries  was 
innoculated  and  for  three  years  suffered  with  the  dreadful 
eruption.  This  was  only  one  of  the  many  more  or  less  an- 
no}'ing  experiences  on  a  central  African  station.  Snakes 
and  scorpions  oft  shared  their  sleeping  quarters.  Awakened 
one  night  by  the  striking  of  an  object  fallen  from  the  ceil- 
ing, on  procuring  a  light  a  four-foot  snake  was  found  on  the 
floor.  The  same  missionary  sat  reading  while  a  native  bo}' 
was  cooking  some  beans  on  the  fire,  when  the  lad  suddenly 
cried  out,  *'  Ngana  !  "  (''Sir,")  and  the  tail  of  a  snake  was  seen 
hanging  down   from   the   ceiling   of  mats.     When   dropped 


n!      a 
o       « 


In  Darkest  Africa  451 

with  a  shot  and  quickly  speared,  it  was  found  to  measure 
nine  feet. 

Msiri  was  very  friendly  to  the  missionaries,  who  received 
a  flying-  messenger  announcing  that  the  king  was  about  to 
pay  them  a  visit.  lie  had  dreamed  the  night  before  that 
he  was  on  a  visit  to  the  missionaries,  and  took  it  as  a  sign 
that  he  should  come.  He  quickly  followed  his  messenger, 
accompanied  by  five  of  his  wives  and  forty  attendants. 
After  partaking  of  the  good  dinner  they  had  hastily  pre- 
pared, he  astonished  the  missionaries  with  the  announce- 
ment that  he  would  stay  all  night.  They  were  unprepared 
for  such  an  honor,  but  surrendered  their  quarters  to  the 
royal  party,  not  a  little  fearful  lest  they  would  prove  more 
destructive  guests  than  the  snakes.  The  medicine  chest 
took  the  monarch's  eye,  and  he  exclaimed,  "  Kapali  vale 
okufa !  "  ("  No  more  death.")  The  native  faith  in  the  reme- 
dies of  the  white  man  was  a  valuable  aid  to  their  work. 

Stations  were  opened  along  the  line  of  transport  from 
Benguela,  at  Kwanjilula,  in  Bihe,  and  at  Nana  Kandudu,  in 
the  Balunda  country,  and  at  both  a  good  impression  was  made 
on  the  people,  the  women  being  taught  to  wear  some  clothing 
and  the  men  encouraged  in  lives  of  industry.  The  usual  pio- 
neering work  had  to  be  done  in  the  construction  of  buildings, 
opening  of  farms  and  gardens,  and  mastery  of  the  language. 
Evangelistic  visits  were  made  to  many  of  the  surrounding 
villages,  and  frequently  seed  was  sown  in  the  caravan,  where 
the  natives  were  taught  to  sing  Christian  hymns  and  listened 
attentively  to  the  preaching  of  the  word  and  the  testimony 
for  Jesus. 

The  kingdom  of  Msiri  was  doomed  to  fall.  It  was  founded 
on  blood  and  maintained  by  murder.  With  him  war  was 
not  "  the  last  argument  of  kings,"  it  was  the  only  argument 
presented.  His  war  parties  devastated  the  country  and 
dragged  into  the  capital  the  surviving  victims  of  their  cruel 
raids.  His  death  and  the  disintegration  of  his  kingdom 
came  with  the  Congo  State  expedition,  led  by  Captain 
Stairs.     The  king  at  first  seemed  friendly,  but  removed  to 


452 


The  Flaming  Torch 


another  village  ;  disregarded  messages  from  the  captain  and 
detained  the  messengers  ;  was  visited  by  Captain  Bodson, 
upon  whom  he  sprang  with  uplifted  sword,  and  by  whom  he 
was  shot  dead,  Bodson  in  turn  being  mortally  wounded  from 
behind.  Dying  in  the  arms  of  his  friends,  who  had  rushed 
in  on  hearing  the  shots,  he  said  he  had  done  a  soldier's  duty, 
had  rid  the  Garenganze  country  of  a  tiger,  and  when  he  had 
shouted,  "  Long  live  the  king  !  "  this  loyal  subject  of  Leo- 
pold expired.  Under  the  direction  of  the  Belgian  officers 
the  country  was  returned  to  its  former  principal  tribal  divi- 
sions, under  the  sovereignty  of  the  State  of  Congo. 

In  the  midst  of  tragic  and  beseechingly  helpless  heathen- 
ism the  missionaries  are  endeavoring  to  reach  the  priceless 
soul  within.  Every  morning  meetings  are  held  for  all  comers, 
and  when  the  new  moon  appears  a  moonlight  service  is  held. 
In  common  with  other  tribes  the  people  of  Garenganze  have 
a  belief  in  the  living  God  not  acquired  from  missionaries. 
Some  of  their  names  for  God  are  interesting.  Shakapanga 
is  rarely  used  alone,  but  is  accompanied  b}'  "Wi  tu  panga,  ne 
ku  pangululu  "  ("  He  who  creates  us,  who  uncreates  [death] 
us,  and  who  created  all  things").  Another  name  applied  to 
God  is  "  Ka  fula  mova,"  of  which  the  literal  translation,  "  He 
of  many  suns,"  falls  far  short  of  conveying  the  African  mean- 
ing. He  asks,  "Who  can  count  God's  years?  When  did 
they  begin  ?"  His  meaning  is,  "  The  eternal  God,"  who  he 
knows  by  the  direct  revelation  of  his  Holy  Spirit. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


453 


CHAPTER  XL 

Methodist  Industrial  Missions 

Y^^ —  -lARLY  in  the  )-car  1885,  under  a  general  com- 
mission from  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
and  the  episcopal  authority  conferred  by  its 
General  Conference,  I  took  a  party  of  over 
(^^'^B^  forty  missionaries  to  South  Central  Africa. 
^  ^^^P  'J'}^^^  denomination  I  represented  had  opened 
missions  a  half  century  before  in  the  little  re- 
public of  Liberia,  in  West  Africa,  but  had  confined  their 
operations  almost  entirely  to  the  Americo-Liberians,  de- 
scendants of  liberated  slaves  who  had  colonized  that  small 
portion  of  the  African  coast.  The  first  white  missionaries 
sent  to  this  field  either  died  or  returned  home  on  account 
of  ill  health,  and  for  many  years  none  others  had  been 
sent.  During  the  latter  period  the  work  has  been  carried 
on  by  the  Americo-Liberians  themselves,  who  twice  re- 
ceived brief  episcopal  visits  from  America,  Li  each  case 
the  visiting  bishop  took  a  portion  of  African  fever  away 
with  him,  which  was  thought  to  have  brought  their  earthly 
labors  to  an  untimely  termination.  They  did  not  spend 
a  single  night  on  shore,  but  chartered  a  vessel  to  lie  in 
the  offing,  to  which  they  retreated  at  sunset.  If  I  were 
going  to  prescribe  for  the  decent  killing  of  a  bishoi)  it 
would  be  that  he  should  move  about  very  quietly  dur- 
ing the  day  so  as  not  to  excite  the  least  perspiration,  eat 
imported  food,  and  at  night  sleep  on  the  water  level 
in  easy  reach  of  the  malaria.  The  way  for  him  to  live 
and  prosper  physically  would  be  to  eat  where  he  works,  the 
healthful  products  of  the  country,  and  sleep  where  he  eats, 
with  an  abundance  of  fresh  air.  To  maintain  health  in  the 
tropics  he  should  at  least  once  a  day  take  sufficient  exercise 
to    secure    profuse   perspiration   and    good    digestion.     The 


454 


The  Flaming  Torch 


human  system,  witli  its  milHon  of  pores,  utilizes  them  when 
it  has  opportunity  to  carry  off  anything  that  would  be  detri- 
mental to  its  healthfulness  or  comfort.  If  the  sewerage 
system  of  a  great  city  should  be  suddenly  closed  up  disease 
and  pestilence  would  stalk  forth  at  noonday. 

There  was  much  apprehension  as  to  my  personal  safety 
in  conducting  such  an  enterprise,  and  still  more  for  the 
party  of  men,   women,  and   children  who  accompanied   me. 


VT-t^^'fhh%n 


A  Royal  Party  on  the   March 

A  dear  friend  in  bidding  me  a  tearful  good-bye  said,  "  Alas, 
my  brother,  I  shall  never  see  you  again  !  "  "  O,  that  de- 
pends," I  replied,  "  on  whether  you  are  here  when  I 
return."  Friends  and  foes  alike  predicted  that  I  and  my 
deluded  followers  would  all  be  dead  in  three  months. 
Even  the  traders  on  the  coast  steamer  in  which  we  voyaged 
from  Liverpool  expressed  the  expectation  of  hearing  of  the 
earl)^  death  of  all  the  women  and  children  at  least.  Of  the 
eleven  traders   that  with    our   party  made  up  the  passenger 


In  Darkest  Africa  ASS 

list  of  the  little  African  ship  seven  were  dead  before  the 
close  of  the  year,  up  to  which  time  we  had  lost  but  two  of 
our  number.  The  rum  traffic,  in  which  they  were  largely 
engaged,  more  disastrous  to  the  natives  than  any  of  their 
own  native  customs,  proved  to  be  the  boomerang  which 
slew  the  most  of  them.  It  was  early  reported  that  we  were 
all  dead,  but  the  African  coast  is  noted  for  the  unreliability 
of  its  news.  Men  isolated  from  accustomed  surroundings 
are  so  hungry  for  intelligence  from  the  outside  world  that 
the  occasional  trader  or  "  skipper  "  is  tempted  to  follow  the 
advice  given  by  an  Irish  editor  to  a  new  reporter,  "  If  your 
mimiry  fails  ye,  invint."  On  one  occasion  I  was  picked  up 
early  in  the  morning  by  a  coast  steamer,  and  sitting  by  the 
side  of  the  captain  at  breakfast  I  heard  a  fellow-passenger's 
question  and  his  reply  :  "  Captain,  what  became  of  that 
American  Bishop,  Taylor,  who  brought  .^ruch  a  large  party 
of  missionaries  to  this  coast?"  "  O,  he  was  taken  down 
with  the  deadly  fever  and  tried  to  make  his  escape,  but  he 
dic-d  and  was  buried  at  sea,  poor  fellow."  I  knew  that  w^as 
a  lie  as  soon  as  I  heard  it ! 

The  sailing  from  the  port  of  New  York  of  the  largest 
party  of  missionaries  up  to  that  date  that  ever  sailed  from 
any  port  was  significant  on  account  of  the  fact  that  they 
were  to  lay  the  foundations  of  self-supporting  industrial  mis- 
sions. The  missions  which  under  (jod  I  founded  in  India 
and  in  South  America  were  self-supporting  from  the  first 
opening;  but,  going  among  naked  barbarous  nations  not  in 
a  position  to  appreciate  either  educational  or  Gospel  work, 
I  knew  we  should  have  to  build  tents,  like  Paul  and  Barna- 
bas, or  its  equivalent  in  some  productive  industry.  So  it 
was  arranged  before  we  left  New  York  that  through  the 
liberality  of  our  fellow-workers  at  home  our  transit  supplies 
should  extend  to  the  development  of  adequate  indigenous 
resources,  and  instead  of  having  to  turn  aside  to  secular 
employment  for  a  living  we  would  combine  a  variety  of  in- 
dustries with  the  study  of  books,  and  thus  from  the  fruits 
of  our  legitimate  labors  procure  at  an  early  day  ample  sup- 


456 


The  Flaming  Torch 


*«^ 


5.  -^^-^ 


pHes  of  wholesome  food,  and  later  on  marketable  products 
to  exchange  for  our  needed  imports.  The  industrial  de- 
partment is  essential  to  the  highest  success  among  barbar- 
ous heathen  nations.  In  India  there  are  industries  suited 
to  the  type  of  civilization  known  in  that  land  for  many 
ages,  and  in  large  portions  of  South  America  they  have  a 
civilization  that  only  needs  to  become  Christian  ;  but  in 
heathen  Africa  we  have  to  begin  at  the  beginning.  To 
instruct  them  in  the  knowledge  of  God  and  salvation  is  our 
highest  mission,  but  that  involves  the  laying  of  foundations 

that  will  give  the  work 
an  enduring  character 
through  this  and  suc- 
ceeding ages.  To  give 
naked  heathen  an  in- 
tellectual development 
only  is  to  educate  them 
away  from  the  indus- 
tries of  their  mothers 
and  give  them  nothing 
whereby  they  can  sus- 
tain themselves  in  the 
life  of  civilization  to 
which  we  elevate  them. 
They  aspire  to  be  law- 
yers or  doctors,  and  as 
there  is  little  demand 
for  such  they  simply 
become  pedantic  beggars,  and  soon  disgrace  their  instruct- 
ors. Industrial  education  has  continued  to  be  a  promi- 
nent  part  of  our  curriculum. 

Intellectual  training,  though  also  essential,  is  not  as  direct 
a  path  to  the  heart  of  the  heathen  as  is  afforded  by  the 
knowledge  of  God  through  the  proclaimed  word  of  God  and 
testimon\'  for  Jesus,  but  we  would  not  undervalue  liberal 
education. 

One   of  the  West  African  kings   took  a    full   course  in  a 


A  Mourned  Trader 


In  Darkest  Africa  457 

seminary  on  the  coast,  from  which  he  graduated  with  high 
honors ;  but  during  all  this  intellectual  development  he 
still  remained  a  heathen,  and,  retaining  onl)-  the  Christian 
name  given  him,  Charles  Modge,  returned  to  his  people, 
doffed  his  .Vmerican  suit  and  girded  himself  with  a  ban- 
danna handkerchief,  took  half  a  dozen  wives,  and  sat  down 
in  the  darkness  of  heathenism.  The  first  time  I  saw  him  I 
preached  to  him  for  a  solid  hour  as  he  sat  on  the  floor  of 
his  mud  hut  ;  and  although  he  admitted  the  truth  of  all  I 
said  he  was  unwilling  to  give  up  his  evil  practices.  What 
education  failed  to  do  simple  Gospel  methods  finally  ac- 
complished. I  sent  to  a  suburb  of  his  big  town  a  lady  mis- 
sionary  from  Oregon,  Miss  Lizzie  McNeill,  who  adopted  a 
number  of  children  before  they  had  become  heathen,  and 
they  were  soon  witnesses  to  the  saving  grace  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.  Then  with  her  little  family  of  about  twenty  chil- 
dren she  held  open-air  meetings  under  a  breadfruit  tree, 
and  he  and  his  chiefs  were  soon  attracted  to  them.  Her 
method  was  to  read  and  explain  the  Scriptures  and  then  give 
her  converted  children  a  chance,  one  by  one,  to  give  their 
testimony  before  their  heathen  neighbors.  They  might  have 
their  doubts  in  regard  to  the  statements  of  the  foreign  mis- 
sionary, but  the  simple,  straightforward  story  of  the  guile- 
less  children  carried  conviction  to  their  hearts.  A  great 
revival  resulted,  during  which  the  king,  several  of  his  chiefs, 
and  a  number  of  his  people  were  converted  to  God.  There 
were  a  number  of  agencies  employed  to  bring  about  this 
glorious  result,  but  the  work  commenced  with  the  testi- 
mony of  the  children.  The  plague  of  smallpox  broke  out 
in  his  tribe,  and  in  his  sore  distress  he  sent  to  Cape  Palmas 
for  the  Methodists  to  come  and  pray  for  his  people.  A 
number  of  them  went,  including  several  of  our  noble  mis- 
sionaries. They  included  in  their  petitions  earnest  requests 
for  the  salvation  of  the  king,  and  he  became  a  zealous 
Christian.  He  had  eight  wives,  as  had  also  his  principal 
chief,  who  was  converted  at  the  same  time.  The  question 
immediately  arose  what  they  would  do  with  them.     Each 


458 


The  Flaming  Torch 


one  Hved  on  her  own  farm,  tlie  cultivation  of  which  brought 
her  ample  subsistence,  though  by  law  all  belonged  to  the 
king  and  the  chief.  They  met  the  difficulty  at  once.  Re- 
taining the  lawful  wife  only,  the  others  were  given  their 
freedom  and  their  property,  with  guarantee  of  protection 
in  its  enjoyment  and  permission  to  marry  if  they  chose. 
During  the  years   that    followed   their   rights  were  never  in- 


fringed ;  and  the  old  king  was  a  ver\'  zealous  Christian  until 
the  day  of  his  death. 

As  there  was  no  place  of  worship  in  his  town  he  called 
his  people  together  and  superintended  the  building  of  a 
Methodist  chapel,  native  fashion,  where  he  was  installed  as 
preacher-in-charge,  and  in  which  he  addressed  his  people 
every  Sunday.  The  last  time  I  met  King  Hodge  wns  in  a 
quarterly  meeting  at  Cape  Palmas,  a  great  occasion,  during 
which  four  generations  of  heathen  partook  of  the  holy  sac- 
rament.    When  he  arose  to  speak  in  the  love  feast  he  was 


In  Darkest  Africa  459 

almost  choked  with  conflicting  emotions.  With  tears 
streaming  down  his  cheeks  he  said :  "  I  am  very  hap[)y 
to-day  in  this  blessed  salvation  of  Jesus,  and  yet  I  am  sad 
when  I  think  of  so  many  of  my  people  sitting  in  darkness. 
O,  if  only  my  people  could  know  the  joy  of  this  better  life  ! 
Many  of  them  do  believe,  and  many  others  are  coming 
into  the  light ;  and  I  desire  you  to  pray  for  them,  that  I 
may  lead  them  to  Jesus." 

Some  have  thought  it  was  to  be  deplored  that  learned 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  should  waste  their  time  in  the  use 
of  tools  and  implements,  but  they  have  to  spend  years  in 
learning  the  native  language  before  they  can  begin  to  preach, 
and  need  vigorous  exercise  for  their  health,  and  familiar  in- 
tercourse with  the  people  to  learn  their  language  and  real 
hfe.  But  while  we  took  some  learned  ministers  to  Africa 
the  large  majority  of  our  workers  were  fresh  from  the  farms 
and  workshops  of  our  own  country,  and  went  to  devote  to 
God  and  to  his  sable  sons  their  knowledge  and  skill  in  said 
industries,  as  well  as  to  proclaim  the  Gospel  message.  This 
opens  a  wide  door  for  thousands  of  consecrated  laymen  and 
women  who  covild  not  otherwise  get  into  foreign  missionary 
work. 

We  arrived  at  Saint  Paul  de  Loanda,  capital  of  the  Portu- 
guese province  of  Angola,  on  the  20th  of  March,  1885.  We 
were  kindly  received  by  the  governor  general  of  the 
province  and  by  Mr.  New^ton,  the  British  consul.  One  of 
the  largest  and  best  houses  in  the  city  was  procured  for  the 
temporary  residence  of  our  people,  it  being  our  purpose  to 
open  a  chain  of  missions  toward  the  interior.  Here  we 
afterward  purchased  a  suitable  site  and  built  a  substantial 
two-story  house  conveniently  arranged  for  all  mission  pur- 
poses. 


460 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER   XLI 

Practical  Principles  of  Self-support 

HE    Lord    has    incorporated    into    his 
Gospel  system  and  plan  of  work  three 
financial  principles,  with  their  appro- 
priate methods  of  application.     The 
first  two  are  commercial   principles  ; 
^£    the  third,  a  charity  principle.      Prin- 
ciple  number  one  is  a  pioneer  prin- 
ciple, represented   by  the  men  who, 
at  their  own  cost,  without  any  guar- 
antee   of  compensation,   open    up   new  resources    and   new 
industries, 

I  once  saw  a  tunnel  which  had  been  drilled  and  blasted 
through  solid  basaltic  rock  nearly  as  hard  as  pig  metal  into 
the  heart  of  a  California  mountain.  The  work  had  been 
executed  by  a  class  of  hardy  pioneers  bearing  the  name  of 
the  "  Live  Yankee  Compan}-."  They  put  in  three  years  of 
solid  work  before  they  had  any  assurance  that  they  would 
"  find  the  color."  They  finally  "struck  it  big,"  as  the  miners 
express  a  great  success ;  but  thousands  of  others  were 
equally  industrious  who  did  not  "strike  it"  at  all.  The 
vast  armies  of  prospectors,  inventors,  commercial  explorers, 
and  pioneers  of  all  sorts,  who  open  up  new  resources  and 
new  industries  at  their  own  risk,  represent  principle  num- 
ber one. 

The  commercial  principle,  number  two,  applicable  to 
opened  fields,  proceeds  on  the  line  of  estimated  values, 
covering  the  law  of  supply  and  demand  : 

1.  In  regard  to  labor  and  compensation. 

2.  Li  regard  to  all  varieties  of  commercial  equivalents. 
Under  the  Gospel  utilization  of  principle  number  one  the 

pioneer  ambassador  for  Christ  pays  his  own  expenses  and 


In  Darkest  Africa  461 

preaches  the  Gospel  free  of  cliaige.  Paul  and  Barnabas  were 
Gospel  pioneers,  working  under  principle  number  one.  In 
his  farewell  address  to  the  elders  of  the  church  at  Ephesus 
St.  Paul  said  to  them  :  "  Remember,  that  by  the  space  of 
three  years  I  ceased  not  to  warn  ever}'one  night  and  day 
with  tears.  ...  I  have  coveted  no  man's  silver,  or  gold,  or 
apparel.  Yea,  ye  }-ourselves  know,  that  these  hands  have 
ministered  unto  m)'  necessities,  and  to  them  that  were  w  ith 
me"  (Acts  XX,  31-34).  Paul  and  Barnabas  had  as  good  a 
right  to  claim  a  support  as  any  other  ministers  called  of  God 
to  preach  his  Gospel.  St.  Paul  sustained  himself  under 
principle  number  one  by  making  tents;  Dr.  Coke  by  his  in- 
heritance ;  Mr.  Wesley  by  his  authorship.  Some  years  ago 
Brothers  French  and  Booth  and  a  few  others  started  a  little 
Sunday  school  at  Hanson  Place,  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  When 
that  became  quite  too  large  for  their  "  hired  room  "  they 
went  to  work  and  built  a  church  edifice.  The  first  Sabbath 
after  their  new  house  of  worship  was  dedicated,  and  for 
three  weeks,  I  led  for  them  a  series  of  special  services,  and 
from  the  harvest  of  new  converts  the  Lord  gave  us  during 
that  time  over  two  hundred  joined  the  pioneer  band  of  John 
P^rench  and  Company,  and  we  launched  Hanson  Place 
Church,  which  took  rank  from  that  time  as  a  first-class  self- 
supporting  station  in  that  city.  So  in  the  olden  time  most 
of  the  churches  of  all  our  cities  were  founded. 

Under  the  Gospel  utilization  of  principle  number  two 
"the  Lord  hath  ordained,"  as  under  his  Jewish  economy, 
.so  under  the  Christian  dispensation,  that  "  they  which 
preach  the  Gospel  should  live  of  the  Gospel  "  they  preach. 
"  The  laborer  is  worthy  of  his  hire,"  to  be  paid  by  the  peo- 
ple who  get  the  benefit  of  his  labors.  Under  these  two 
Gospel  commissariat  principles  the  apostles  and  their  coad- 
jutors conquered  the  Roman  world. 

Under  these  two  principles  Methodism  had  its  birth  and 
its  development  in  England  and  America  to  stalwart  man- 
hood before  we  had  any  missionary  societies.  I  believe  the 
same    is   true    of  all    branches    of   the    Church    of    Gotl    in 


462 


The  Flaming  Torch 


America.  All  the  charitable  institutions  in  the  world 
worthy  of  the  name  are  the  offspring  of  Gospel  achievement 
under  the  operation  of  principles  one  and  two.  The  great- 
est of  these  charities  is  that  of  sending  the  Gospel  prepaid 
to  poor  people  who  are  not  able  to  support  the  ministers 
who  bring  them  the  glad  tidings,  and  to  pay  the  other  cur- 
rent expenses  of  the  movement.  We  thus  deduce  principle 
number  three,  which  is  a  charity  principle.  The  three 
principles  are  coordinate;  each  one  constitutes  an  essential 
part  of  God's  Gospel  commissariat  arrangement ;  the  first 
two,  in  relation  to  the  third,  standing  as  antecedents;  those 

fundamental,  this  second- 
ary. Under  the  first  two 
the  mountains  "are  tun- 
neled, the  railroads  built, 
the  machine  shops  run, 
the  wheels  of  commerce 
turned.  All  the  legiti- 
mate commerce  of  the 
world  is  conducted  under 
these  two  principles  and 
regulated  by  them  through 
the  equipoise  of  the  law 
of  demand  and  supply. 
Under  principle  number 
three  all  the  as}'lums, 
almshouses,  hospitals,  charities  of  every  variety,  public  and 
private,  are  established  and  sustained.  There  is  no  collision 
between  any  of  these  institutions  and  the  railroads.  If, 
however,  the  board  of  directors  of  a  hospital,  or  of  any  of 
these  charities,  should  claim  jurisdiction  over  the  railroads 
and  their  machine  shops,  then  the  question  of  jurisdiction 
would  have  to  be  settled.  Great  charity  institutions  are  a 
peculiar  glory  of  a  Christian  people,  but  they  don't  run  the 
commerce  of  the  nation. 

All  the  missionary  societies  are  based   upon  this  heaven- 
born  principle  number  three.     They  constitute  the  greatest 


.Galla  Type 


In  Darkest  Africa  463 

benevolent  institutions  in  tlic  \\n)rld,  tendinis  not  only  to 
alleviate  the  physical  woes  of  millions  of  the  human  race, 
but  to  rescue  their  souls  from  destruction  and  restore  them 
to  filial  union  with  God  and  to  eternal  life.  I  have  labored  for 
years  in  many  lands  with  missionaries  of  most  of  the  threat 
leading  missionary  societies  of  the  world,  and  claim  to  have 
a  hii^her  appreciation  of  the  men  and  women  employed,  and 
of  their  heroic  self-sacrifice  and  grand  success  tlian  any  of 
their  home  officials  can  have,  wdio  have  not  had  the  same 
opportunity  of  personal  contact  and  labor  with  them  in  their 
remote  fields;  so  that  nothing  that  I  may  say  in  regard  to  self- 
supporting  missions,  under  principles  numbers  one  and  two, 
should  be  construed  as  implying  any  antagonism  with  the 
charity  principle,  and  the  institutions  based  upon  it,  nor 
invidious  contrasts  between  the  two  kinds  of  work. 

The  Pauline  plan  of  planting  the  Gospel  in  heathen  lands 
was  to  plant  nothing  but  pure  Gospel  seed,  not  a  grain  of  Jew 
tares,  cockle,  or  cheat,  naught  but  the  pure  wheat  of  Gospel 
truth.  Wlien  sowers  of  mixed  seed  came  into  his  fields 
Paul  put  up  the  following  notice :  "There  be  some  that 
trouble  you,  and  would  pervert  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  But 
though  we,  or  an  angel  from  heaven,  preach  any  other 
Gospel  unto  you  than  that  which  we  have  preached  unto 
you,  let  him  be  accursed  "  (Gal.  i,  7,  8).  Paul  laid  the  en- 
tire responsibility  of  church  work  antl  church  government 
upon  his  native  converts,  under  the  immediate  super- 
vision of  the  Holy  Spirit,  just  as  fast  as  he  and  his  tried 
and  trusted  fellow-missionaries  could  get  them  well  organ- 
ized, precluding  foreign  interference.  His  general  admin- 
istrative bishops  were  natives  of  the  foreign  countries  in 
which  he  had  planted  the  Gospel,  such  men  as  Timothy 
and  Titus.  Paul  "endeavored  to  keep  the  unity  of  the 
spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace"  with  the  home  Jerusalem 
churches  by  all  possibilities  short  of  corrupting  his  Gospel 
seed,  or  allowing  the  home  churches  to  put  a  yoke  of  bond- 
age on  his  neck,  or  of  laying  any  restrictions  on  his  foreign 
churches. 


464 


The  Flaming  Torch 


On  the  principle  of  equivalents,  or  value  for  value,  which 
he  expressed  in  terms  like  these,  "  The  laborer  is  worthy  of 
his  hire,"  "  They  that  preach  the  Gospel  shall  live  of  the 
Gospel,"  he  took  it  for  granted  that  the  Gospel  was  worth 
to  any  country  incalculably  more  than  all  the  cost  of  "  food, 
raiment,"  and  traveling  expenses  of  the  messengers  devoted 
wholly  to  its  promulgation;  "for,"  says  Paul,  "if  the 
Gentiles  have  been  made  partakers  of  their  spiritual  things, 
their  duty  is  also  to  minister  unto  them  in  carnal  things." 
Hence  he  went,  and  sent,  according  to  the  teaching  of  the 


Kano,  in  Sokoto 

Master,  without  "purse  or  scrip,"  or  an  extra  coat  or  pair  of 
shoes  above  the  actual  requirements  of  their  health  and 
comfort. 

God's  Gospel  arrangements  and  provisions  as  revealed  in 
the  Book  are  adapted  to  all  the  peculiarities  of  all  ages,  and 
adequate  to  the  spiritual  needs  of  all  the  "nations"  and 
"  families  of  the  earth  ;  "  but  there  is  a  remarkable  corre- 
spondence between  the  providential  conditions  of  Paul's  day 
and  of  our  day  favorable  to  a  rapid  soul-saving  work  of  God 
throughout  the  w^orld.  For  the  wide  domain  and  far-reach- 
ing influence  of  the  Roman  government,  and  the  potency 


In  Darkest  Africa  465 

of  her  literature  and  laws,  we  have  the  modern  counterpart 
in  the  Anglo-Saxon  empire  of  nations,  including  Great 
Britain,  her  American  daughter  under  the  Stars  and  Stripes, 
and  all  her  colonial  governments,  and  her  representatives 
among  all  the  nations  of  the  earth.  These  Anglo-Saxon 
Protestant  Christian  nations  are  the  owners  of  a  large  share 
of  the  land  and  command  the  resources  of  all  the  seas  of 
the  globe.  That  was  purely  heathen  and  bitterly  opposed 
to  Christ  and  his  Gospel  ;  this  avowedly  Christian,  and 
pledged  to  defend  and  extend  the  religion  of  the  Lord 
Jesus;  and  high  above  the  designs  of  men  the  English 
colonization  system,  whatever  the  motive  and  methods  of  its 
endless  variety  of  agency,  is  part  of  a  providential  program 
for  the  permanent  establishment  of  universal  Christian  em- 
pire in  the  world. 

Paul  took  advantage  of  the  wide  diffusion  of  the  Greek 
language  and  literature  of  his  day.  We  may  utilize  more 
effectively  our  own  English  language,  which  is  manifestly  a 
God-ordained  medium  through  which  his  word  may  flow  "to 
the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  "  and  flood  the  nations  with 
Gospel  light.  The  scattered  Jews  constituted  the  entering 
wedge  with  which  Paul  opened  the  heathen  nations  of  his 
day.  Our  English-speaking  people,  dispersed  through  the 
earth,  ought  to  be  as  available  and  as  potent  for  good  as  the 
dispersed  Jews  of  Paul's  day.  Those  were,  in  the  main,  refu- 
gees, prisoners  of  war,  and  slaves,  and  at  best  occupied  a 
social  position  of  no  great  influence.  What  of  the  dispersed 
English-speaking  people  as  compared  with  the  dispersed 
Jews?  The  currents  of  English  and  American  commerce 
have  -deposited  on  all  the  coasts  of  heathen  and  semi- 
heathen  countries  vast  resources  of  men,  of  monc}%  and 
of  merchandise.  These  adventurous,  heroic  men  of  every 
class  are  not  bound  by  bands  of  exclusive  caste  like  the 
Jews;  they  are  liberal  and  often  wasteful  to  a  faulty  ex- 
treme. They  have  not  the  systematic  training  in  regular 
voluntary  payment  of  the  tenth  of  their   income   that  was 

common  among  the  Jews,  but  the  sight  of  real  distress  or 
30 


466 


The  Flaming  Torch 


need  will  always  touch  tlie  hearts  and  open  and  often  empty 
the  pockets  of  the  dispersed  Englishmen. 

Instead  of  thumping  about  on  the  Mediterranean  Sea  and 
off  the  west  coast  of  Europe  in  the  fellow  to  an  old  leaky 
Chinese  junk,  as  did  Paul  and  his  heroic  compeers,  we  cir- 
cumnavigate the  globe  in  floating  palaces  driven  by  modern 
mechanical  forces,  the  discovery  and  application  of  which 
result  from  the  enfranchisement  of  the  human  intellect 
through  the  power  of  the  Gospel. 

All  the  regular  missions  should  be  adequately  reinforced 
and  sustained  by  home  churches,  but  their  next  grand 
achievement  is  to  utilize  on  a  purely  spiritual  soul-saving 
base  the  native  agency  and  resources  connected  with  their 
work.  In  no  way  to  hinder,  but  in  many  ways  to  help  the 
work  of  foreign  missionar}^  societies  God  has  used  me  and 
my  fellow-woikcrs  as  an  humble  but  special  body  of  agency 
to  make  a  practical  application  of  these  Pauline  principles 
of  self-supporting  missionary  work.  The  chapters  that  follow 
are  not  intended  to  be  an  exhibit  of  the  work  accomplished, 
and  therefore  do  not  present  a  consecutive  record  of  the 
opening  of  the  forty  mission  stations  among  the  raw  heath- 
en, or  of  the  noble  deeds  of  our  heroic  men  and  women  who 
constituted  a  part  of  the  advancing  host  of  pioneer  mission- 
aries. The  vast  scope  and  purpose  of  the  present  volume 
do  not  afford  space  for  more  than  the  presentation  of  a 
few  illustrative  examples  of  missionary  work  from  personal 
experiences  in  darkest  Africa. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


467 


CHAPTER  XLII 

Fate  of  the  First  Party 

''ROM  our  large  party  of  missionaries  at 
Loanda,  the  port  of  entr}-,  I  chose  six 
as  an  advance  guard  to  select  locations 
for  mission  stations  in  the  interior  of 
Angola.  I  called  to  say  good-b3'e  to 
the  governor  general  of  the  three  Portu- 
guese provinces  on  this  coast  before 
we  embarked  for  the  two-hundred- 
'  and-forty-mile  river  voyage  to  Dondo. 

He  had  visited  us  several  times,  and  on  this  occasion  re- 
ceived us  cordiall)',  but  said  :  "  I  do  not  feel  willing  to  allow 
your  women  and  children  to  go  into  the  interior.  I  want 
you  instead  to  settle  them  at  Mossamedes,  four  hundred 
miles  south,  which  has  almost  a  European  climate."  Then 
he  brought  some  photographs  of  a  variety  of  persons  in 
Mossamedes,  including  many  children,  to  convince  me  of 
the  healthfulness  of  that  more  southerly  climate  in  which  our 
families  could  live  and  prosper.  "  But,"  said  he,  "  if  you 
take  them  into  the  interior  of  Angola  they  will  all  die  of 
fever."  He  then  gave  me  an  account  of  three  different  at- 
tempts of  the  government  to  plant  a  colony  at  Pungo  An- 
dongo  and  two  other  centers  ;  "  but  all  came  to  grief — 
most  of  them  died,  and  those  remaining  were  scattered." 

I  assured  him  that  it  was  our  purpose  to  proceed  on  an 
original  plan,  having  accepted  his  kind  invitation  to  select 
suitable  sites  and  settle  in  the  best  centers  of  population. 
He  inquired,  "  Are  you  going  into  the  interior  of  Angola 
yourself?"  '"Yes,  your  excellency;  I  expect  to  start 
to-morrow  with  a  small  pioneer  party,  to  select  and  open 
stations  in  which  to  settle  my  workers,  and  especially  the 
families."     The   governor  expressed    sorrow  for  the  women 


468 


The  Flaming  Torch 


and  children,  but  made  no  further  objection  to  our  going  at 
our  own  risk. 

On  the  20th  of  May,  1885,  I  and  my  little  party,  with 
supplies,  took  passage  on  the  Serpa  Pinto,  a  side-wheel 
river  boat.  When  the  waters,  after  their  heavenward  flight 
and  their  percolations  through  the  depths  of  the  mountains, 
hills  and  vales,  and  the  rush  of  thundering  cataracts,  return 
to  their  ocean  home  through  the  Coanza  River  there  is  a 
great  commotion,   perilous   to  the  passers-by.     We    there- 


A  Fleet  of  Canoes 

fore  left  Loanda  at  midnight,  to  arrive  at  the  bar,  sixty 
miles  distant,  at  daylight.  Inside  the  bar  we  anchored  off 
the  company's  shipyards  and  the  Dutch  trading  post. 
After  steaming  a  couple  of  hours  we  came  to  an  anchorage 
again  to  take  on  wood,  where  we  laid  all  day  while  a  dozen 
fellows  lazily  carried  the  wood  on  board  in  their  arms. 

The  Coanza  is  about  the  size  of  the  Hudson,  not  running 
rapidly  between  high  banks,  like  the  Cavalla  of  the  West 
Coast,  but  a  more  sluggish  stream,  with  broad,  marshy  flats. 
After  "  lying  to  "  until  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  thus 
giving  the  mosquitoes  an  excellent  opportunity  at  all  hands, 


In  Darkest  Africa  469 

we  again  weighed  anchor,  but  stopped  in  the  morning  to 
take  on  a  few  casks  of  rum.  This  immense  distillery,  used 
to  convert  the  saccharine  of  the  sugar  into  rum,  is  sacri- 
legiously named  Bom  Jesu — Good  Jesus.  What  an  ingen- 
ious trick  of  the  devil !  Thousands  of  heathen  here  have 
never  heard  the  name  of  Jesus  except  as  the  name  of  this 
stillhouse,  and  thus  they  associate  it  only  with  making  and 
drinking  rum  ! 

When  we  reach  Cunga,  a  large  trading  station  about 
sixty  miles  from  the  sea,  the  ranges  of  hills  seen  in  the  dim 
distance  on  both  sides  of  tlie  river  are  not  widely  separated, 
and  in  some  places  stand  as  bluffs  near  the  water  line.  The 
back  water  from  the  ocean  tides  extends  up  to  Cunga.  As 
we  ascend  the  stream  the  native  villages  are  larger  and 
more  numerous.  The  lowlands  are  almost  entirely  given 
over  to  beautiful  water  lilies  and  unsightly  alligators. 
While  we  lay  at  anchor  a  huge  hippopotamus  passed  the 
night  in  grunting  around,  apparently  for  our  entertainment. 

At  Dondo,  at  the  head  of  steamboat  navigation  on  the 
Coanza  River,  we  opened  our  first  interior  station,  where 
we  afterward  constructed  a  house  of  solid  masonry,  one 
hundred  and  fourteen  feet  front  and  twenty-six  feet  wide, 
developed  a  self-supporting  day  school,  a  free  night 
school  with  seventy  persons  in  attendance,  and  a  self-sup- 
porting mechanical  shop.  These,  like  similar  institutions 
opened  and  successfully  operated  at  Loanda,  were  affected 
by  the  departure  of  missionaries  for  home  after  several 
years  of  valuable  preparatory  work  in  the  field.  In  the 
locating  of  our  missionary  families  in  this  and  the  other 
interior  stations,  extending  to  "  Malange  in  the  wilder- 
ness," the  mortality  anticipated  by  the  governor  general 
was  happily  not  realized.  The  prediction  of  death  to  all 
the  women  and  children  and  most  of  the  men  within  three 
months,  and  the  anathemas  poured  on  me  for  such  cruelty, 
rang  in  our  ears  from  Liverpool  to  Loanda,  and  soon  after 
our  arrival  it  was  published  in  the  daily  papers  throughout 
Portugal  and  England  that  half  of  my  people  were  dead,  and 


470  The  Flaming  Torch 

the  remainder  beggin<^  subsistence  from  resident  people ! 
It  will  be  interesting  to  note  what  became  of  that  mis- 
sionary party  in  the  first  four  years  of  pioneer  work,  the 
time  of  most  severe  test.  One  young  man  died  at  Loanda 
of  fever  shortly  after  our  arrival  there  ;  four  men,  three 
women,  and  four  children  returned  to  America  without  en- 
tering into  the  work  ;  five  men,  one  woman,  and  one  child 
left  the  field  for  service  elsewhere  after  doing  good  work 
for  two,  three,  and  four  years.  After  two  years  two  chil- 
dren of  the  beloved  Mead  family  died,  and  having  com- 
pleted three  years  of  patient  toil  and  untold  hardship  and 
suffering  as  a  volunteer  advance  guard  to  the  far-away 
Tushilange  country,  Dr.  William  R.  Summers  died  at  Lulu- 
aburg,  and  near  the  same  time  Mrs.  Mary  Myers-Daven- 
port, M.D.,  died  at  her  post  in  Dondo.  So  that  of  the 
doomed  thirty-one  men,  women,  and  children  who  actually 
left  the  coast  to  go  with  me  into  Africa  those  two  children 
and  those  two  eminent  physicians  were  the  only  ones  who 
died  in  the  first  four  years  ! 

From  Dondo  we  proceeded  along  a  narrow  path  over 
rugged  mountains  and  hills,  a  tramp  of  fifty-one  miles, 
to  Nhangue-a-pepo,  our  third  station.  It  was  not  located  in 
a  town,  but  near  a  large  caravansary,  where  a  new  congre- 
gation from  the  far  interior  can  be  found  daily,  and  con- 
tiguous to  many  native  villages.  This  became  a  receiving 
station  and  also  the  location  of  our  farm,  where  we  soon 
had  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  head  of  horned  cattle.  Our 
missionary  at  this  point  wrote  to  me  afterward:  "  I  am  run- 
ning a  big  McCormick  plow  with  two  yoke  of  our  cattle.  I 
turn  over  half  an  acre  every  forenoon,  six  days  in  the 
week.  The  afternoon  of  each  day  I  have  for  teaching  and 
study,  and  find  real  pleasure  in  my  work." 

Proceeding  by  the  same  path  thirty-nine  miles  we 
reached,  on  a  mountain  elevation  of  extraordinary  concrete 
formation,  the  ancient  capital  of  a  remarkable  Negro  queen, 
known  to  history,  her  palace  still  remaining,  Pungo  An- 
dongo,  where    we  opened    our   fourth   station.      It  was  not 


In  Darkest  Africa  473 

possible  to  open  an  industrial  department  here,  but  we 
maintained  a  school  for  old  and  youn^  alike.  This  wild, 
mountainous  region  was  infested  by  lions.  Some  of  these 
became  so  bold  that  they  descended  upon  the  villages,  and 
were  not  content  to  feast  upon  the  cattle,  but  carried  away 
native  children.  One  old  lion  became  noted  for  his  depre- 
dations, and  the  natives  determined  to  pursue  him  to  his  lair. 
They  found  it  was  located  among  the  inaccessible  rocks  of  one 
of  the  peaks  of  these  granite  hills.  The  few  passes  through 
which  it  was  possible  for  him  to  escape  were  blocked  by 
fires.  But  the  king  of  beasts  would  not  surrender.  For  a 
moment  his  form  was  seen  in  majestic  strength  on  the 
ledge  of  the  highest  peak,  and  with  one  wild  roar  of  defi- 
ance he  leaped  to  his  death  on  the  rocks  below. 

We  followed  the  narrow  path  sixty  miles  farther  to  Ma- 
lange,  our  interior  station.  Although  it  is  the  caravan  trail 
of  the  ages  it  is  rough  and  narrow  and  often  interrupted 
by  barriers.  When  a  forest  tree  falls  across  the  path  Afri- 
cans do  not  clear  it  away,  but  walk  around  it.  The  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  slaves  sold  in  Loanda  for  two  hundred 
years  past  trod  this  weary  way  mid  tears  and  blood — poor 
captives  whose  fathers  had  been  slaves  because  they  had 
dared  to  defend  their  homes,  and  their  aged  kindred  burned 
up  in  the  destruction  of  their  towns.  On  each  side  of  this 
path  is  a  continuous  graveyard  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
long.  Many  a  dark  night  on  that  dreary  wa}',  often  at- 
tended only  by  a  single  carrier,  I  seemed  to  hear  the  dead 
speaking  to  me  and  saying,  "  O,  messenger  of  God,  why 
came  you  not  this  way  to  speak  words  of  comfort  to  us  be- 
fore we  died." 

Our  entrance  into  Malangc,  which  became  one  of  our 
most  prosperous  mission  stations  and  center  from  which 
other  successful  missions  have  been  established,  is  thus  de- 
scribed by  Rev.  Samuel  Mead,  who  has  for  fourteen  years 
been  in  charge  of  that  work  :  "  On  the  loth  of  September, 
1885,  ^  small  party  of  travelers  might  have  been  seen  walk- 
ing up  the  street  of  an  African  village.     The  sun  was  very 


474  The  Flaming  Torch 

hot,  and  their  faces  were  covered  with  dust  and  sweat.  As 
they  looked  to  the  right  and  the  left  you  would  quickly  see 
they  were  strangers  and  did  not  know  just  where  to  go. 
But  we  will  follow  them  to  the  upper  part  of  the  village, 
where  a  large  tree  lent  its  cooling  shade  to  these  weary 
travelers.  They  rest  for  a  moment  under  its  branches. 
An  inquiring  look  seems  to  be  on  some  of  their  faces  as 
their  eyes  turn  to  their  leader,  a  well-built  man,  with  a  long 
white  beard  falling  down  over  his  broad  chest.  You  could 
easily  imagine  yourself  in  the  presence  of  a  Moses  or  a 
Joshua,  whose  eye  was  not  dimmed  nor  strength  abated, 
although  his  sojourn  on  earth  had  been  nearly  threescore 
and  ten  years.  He  broke  the  silence  by  saying,  '  Let  us 
pray.'  Kneeling  down  he  addressed  himself  to  the  great 
King  of  kings:  'I  am  thine;  this  thou  knowest.  These 
who  are  with  me  are  thine.  We  are  here  by  thy  loving 
mercy  and  order.  We  are  dependent  upon  thee  for  all 
needed  in  this  life  and  the  life  to  come.  Direct  our  steps 
to  thy  glory.  Amen.'  And  then  he  arose  from  his  knees 
and  said  to  a  young  man  who  was  a  little  downcast  in  his 
looks,  '  Let  us  go  and  inquire  at  this  house  and  see  what 
the  Lord  will  reveal  to  us.'  When  they  crossed  the  street 
and  knocked  at  the  door  a  young  man  bade  them  enter. 
After  resting  a  moment  this  aged  servant  of  God  addressed 
the  young  man  with  these  words  :  '  We  are  strangers  in  this 
land  ;  are  Christians  from  America.  We  have  come  here 
to  teach  the  natives  the  knowledge  of  books  and  of  the 
Lord  Jesus.  We  now  lack  shelter  and  a  place  to  arrange 
our  food.'  This  plain  statement  seemed  to  affect  this 
young  man,  who  was  foreman  in  a  large  trading  house,  and 
at  once  he  commenced  to  serve,  and  soon  he  had  a  large 
table  spread  with  delicacies  very  refreshing  and  cheering  to 
these  footsore,  dusty,  and  hungry  travelers  ;  and  he  said, 
'  You  must  make  my  house  your  home  until  you  can  ar- 
range things  more  convenientl)\'  This  night  was  the  first 
time  a  Methodist  prayer  meeting  was  held  in  Malange, 
South  Central  Africa." 


In  Darkest  Africa 


475 


4  .-^^ 


CHAPTER  XLIII 

The  Church  in  the  Wilderness 

NUMBER    of    the   clirficuliics    surrounding 
pioneer  work  in  Africa,  and  the  prac- 
tical  metliod.s   of  overcoming   them 
Ti  adopted  by  missionaries  on  the   in- 

dustrial   line,    were   experienced    at 
S  our  inmost  station  in  Angola,  "  The 

Church  in  the  Wilderness."  When 
a  mission  school  was  opened  a  num- 
ber of  boys  who  came  on  the  first 
day  were  faithfully  instructed  for  two 
hours,  and  the  missionary  attempted  to  dismiss  them,  say- 
ing, "Go  home  and  get  your  dinner  and  come  to-morrow." 
But  they  did  not  move.  After  much  explaining  that  the 
school  session  was  finished  they  replied,  "  No,  we  shall  not 
go  until  you  pay  us;  we  came  here  by  your  call,  did  what 
you  asked  us  to  do,  and  now  you  must  give  us  money  to 
buy  our  dinner."  A  nice  boy  came  to  the  mission  and  said 
he  wanted  to  work  and  learn  to  read  while  he  lived  with  us. 
Arrangements  were  made  the  next  day.  The  father  came 
with  the  boy,  and  other  members  of  the  family,  and  sat 
down  very  homelike.  When  asked  what  they  were  going  to 
do,  and  if  they  were  going  to  work,  they  replied,  "  O,  no;  we 
have  come  to  stay  and  eat  with  our  boy."  It  was  a  small 
matter,  but  funds  were  low  and  the  income  had  not  com- 
menced, so  this  crowd  created  not  a  little  unecisiness.  Next 
a  king's  son  came  with  a  boy  and  gave  him  to  the  mission. 
He  was  thankfully  received,  and  when  the  young  kin^r 
wished  to  stay  overnight  he  was  shown  a  little  house  in  the 
mission  yard  where  he  could  sleep.  He  seemed  thankful 
for  the  privilege.  Returning  home  a  few  days  after,  the 
missionary  saw  many  people  coming  in  and  going  out  of 


476  The  Flaming  Torch 

his  yard.  On  investigation  he  found  that  the  young  king 
had  brought  two  women  and  a  lot  of  corn  beer,  and,  greatly 
to  his  surprise  and  mortification,  was  selling  it  in  the  mis- 
sion yard.  "  We  do  not  want  you  here,  nor  your  women, 
selling  beer,"  said  the  missionary.  "  But  I  am  here  already," 
replied  the  native.  "But  you  must  go."  "  No,  no,  not  yet ; 
for  I  am  here  with  all  my  things,  and  am  going  to  stay."  It 
was  useless  to  beg  or  persuade  him,  as  he  said  he  liked  the 
Americans  and  wanted  to  stay  with  them  ;  and  the  mission- 
ary retreated  to  sleep  and  pray.  The  next  morning  he  went 
to  him  and  said,  "We  want  to  buy  your  house,  and  desire 
the  timber  now."  This  struck  a  chord  of  interest  in  his  heart, 
and  he  sold  it  for  twenty  yards  of  white  cloth. 

The  beginnings  of  self-support  were  very  small,  and  in 
this  land  might  be  thought  humiliating,  but,  as  will  be  seen, 
were  in  every  way  turned  to  good  account  in  the  general 
advance  of  the  work.  One  day  the  proprietor  of  a  trading 
house  said  to  the  missionary,  "Do  you  want  a  fifty-dollar  job?" 
He  was  sure  he  wanted  the  fifty  dollars,  but  not  sure  about 
the  job.  Pointing  to  a  large  pile  of  guns,  the  trader  said, 
"  For  every  one  you  put  in  trim  I  will  give  you  fifty  cents." 
They  were  sent  to  the  mission  house,  and  in  a  few  days  all 
were  in  order.  Another  trader  had  an  organ  shipped  to 
him,  but  in  the  long  overland  transportation  it  had  become 
a  wreck.  The  missionary  went  to  work  upon  it  with  glue- 
pot  and  screw-driver,  and  in  two  days  it  was  in  perfect  order. 
The  next  day  a  servant  called  at  the  mission  house  to  deliver 
a  bag  of  money,  twelve  dollars  in  copper  coin,  in  payment 
for  the  service. 

Most  of  the  business  of  the  labor  market  of  Angola  is 
transacted  through  copper  coin  currency,  of  irregular  size 
and  denomination,  and  so  heavy  as  to  require  the  attendance 
of  a  carrier  when  marketing  for  family  needs.  It  is  so  diffi- 
cult to  procure  and  keep  a  supply  of  it  on  hand  that  to  pur- 
chase it  even  with  gold  ten  per  cent  premium  has  to  be  paid. 
This  was  one  of  the  reasons  for  opening  a  variety  shop,  as 
patrons  pay  for  their   purchases  in  copper   coin.     Another 


In  Darkest  Africa 


477 


reason  was  the  existing  conditions  of  trade  with  the  far 
interior.  When  llic  long-  caravans  came  in  laden  with  ivory, 
rubber,  dyewoods,  and  gums,  the  weary  carriers  were  in- 
vited into  the  compound  of  the  white  trader,  where  they 
deposited  their  loads  of  from  sixty  to  eighty  pounds  each. 
Then  for  several  days  they  were  debauched  with  trade  rum, 
a  fiery  liquid,  and  when  the)'  began  to  recover  from  its  effects 
were  told  by  the  trader  how  much  they  might  expect  for  the 


Aye-aye,  Squirrel  of  Africa 

valuable  products  of  the  country  which  the)'  had  carried  on 
their  shoulders  for  many  miles;  in  many  cases  hundreds  of 
miles,  under  the  vertical  rays  of  the  sun.  If  they  demurred 
at  the  low  price  they  were  simply  informed  that  there  was 
now  no  alternative  but  to  accept  what  was  offered.  When 
thus  forced  to  surrender  their  products  they  were  paid 
mainl)''  in  rum  and  tobacco,  also  at  the  valuation  of  the 
trader.  The  missionar)'  preached  Christ  in  the  caravansary, 
and  when  the  carriers  came  to  tlie  station  thcv  were  told  at 
once  what  would  be  given  for  their  products,  payable  in  coin, 
cloth,  needles  and   thread,  or  whatever  else  they  required. 


478  The  Flaming  Torch 

It  was  explained  to  them  why  they  were  not  paid  in  rum 
and  tobacco ;  and  returning  to  their  distant  tribes  they 
reported  that  they  had  met  a  new  people  at  Malange,  God 
men,  who  would  not  cheat  them.  Thus  was  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  the  commercial  department  of  the  mission  work. 
The  practical  industrial  department  was  opened  on  sim- 
ilarly useful  lines.  There  were  mission  houses  to  build, 
old  buildings  to  reconstruct,  wells  to  dig,  gardens  to  culti- 
vate, farms  to  open  ;  and  in  all  this  it  was  necessary  to  teach 
the  natives  by  object  lessons.  They  were  as  crude  as  the 
material  that  had  to  be  handled.  Of  this  the  walls  must 
come  from  the  clay  of  the  soil,  the  timbers  from  the  forest, 
and  the  tools  at  hand  were  of  the  most  primitive  order. 
The  trees  were  felled  in  the  forest  and  the  logs  dragged  by 
oxen  to  a  pit,  where  they  were  cut  into  plank  and  timber 
with  a  pit-saw  propelled  by  a  man  who  stood  on  the  log  and 
another  who  was  in  the  pit  beneath. 

The  importance  of  introducing  industrial  methods  for  the 
healthfulness  of  the  missionaries  themselves  is  clearly  shown 
in  the  statistics  of  fourteen  years'  service  in  Angola.  Out 
of  the  total  of  forty  missionaries  of  the  first  party,  including 
children,  who  arrived  in  Angola,  only  three  of  the  men  have 
died  in  or  out  of  Africa.  Of  these  three  only  one  died  of 
the  African  fever.  Another  of  the  three,  after  exposures 
incident  to  conducting  single-handed  an  expedition  to  the 
far  interior,  died  of  consumption ;  and  the  third  worked 
himself  to  death  by  an  unrelieved  service  of  nearly 
seven  years.  Of  the  seven  women  in  this  first  party  only 
one  died  in  or  out  of  Africa.  Her  death  was  evidently 
the  result  of  two  years'  exhaustive  labor  in  Dondo,  which  is 
known  as  the  "  furnace  of  Angola."  The  total  death  rate  of 
the  pioneer  band  up  to  the  present,  covering  a  period  of 
fourteen  years,  has  been  only  twent\^-five  per  cent,  including 
seven  of  the  sixteen  children.  Entering  a  new  country, 
living  in  towns  where  the  sanitary  conditions  were  exceed- 
ingly unfavorable,  combatting  all  the  difficulties  of  pioneer 
work,  this  exhibit  is  a  marvelous  record  of  divine  care. 


In  Darkest  Africa  479 

The  development  of  self-support  in  Angola  has  been  very- 
satisfactory,  as  the  Ibllowing  brief  exhibit  will  show  : 

iNVKSTiMENTS  IN  ANGOLA  MISSION  PROPERTY,  INCLUDING  TRAVEL- 
ING Expenses  and  Outfit. 

Contributions  from  Africa  Fund $67,946  d"] 

Income  on  the  field  as  follows: 

Day  Schools $3.41  5  31 

Mechanics 3>i-i5  96 

Farms 522  40 

Medical  Practice 500  00 

Livestock 1,55448 

Rent  of  Property 1,461    54 

Trade  in  Merchandise 16,813   'o 

Total $27,395  79 

One  of  the  most  successful  mission  stations  connected 
with  the  Malange  Mission  was  located  in  '' Gan  N'Zambi  " 
("  The  Garden  of  God  ").  In  this  Angola  Eden  we  opened 
Munhall  Mission  and  placed  it  in  charge  of  some  of  our  own 
native  converts.  My  first  journey  to  this  place  of  fertility 
and  beauty  commenced  early  one  bright  morning  in  June. 
After  following  the  path  for  about  seven  miles  northwest  of 
Malange  w^e  struck  out  through  the  high  grass  and  ascended 
to  the  top  of  La  Ouess  Mountain.  From  the  summit  cliffs 
of  the  tnountain  we  had  a  grand  view  of  the  vast  undulating 
valley  spi"ead  out  between  us  and  the  high  ridges  which 
form  the  backbone  of  the  Loinbi  Mountains,  twenty  miles 
distant.  We  saw  the  La  Quess  and  Lonibi  Riveis  meander- 
ing through  the  valley,  and  beneath  our  feet  at  the  base  of 
the  inountain  are  Munhall  Mission  house  and  farm,  with  its 
fields  of  mandioca,  sugar  cane,  Indian  corn,  and  fruit  trees 
in  their  tropical  variety.  We  had  much  difficulty  in  work- 
ing our  way  down  between  high  precipitous  cliffs,  right  and 
left,  to  the  mission  premises.  These  are  located  about 
seventy  yards  from  two  immense  springs  that  gush  from  the 
base  of  the  mountain,  water  which,  in  sparkling  trans' 
parency,    purity,    and    sweetness  of   flavor,    can    hardly   be 


480 


The  Flaming  Torch 


surpassed  in  any  part  of  the  world.  The  flow  from  these 
and  many  smaller  springs,  including  a  salt  spring,  fifty 
yards  below  their  source  constitute  a  river,  the  La  Quess, 
thirty  feet  wide,  with  average  depth  of  about  a  foot. 
A  similar  gush  of  water  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  moun- 
tain gives  rise  to  the  Malange  River,  a  noble  stream.  The 
sources  of  the  La  Quess  are  so  buried  and  surrounded  by  a 
forest  of  tall  banana  trees  that  it  is   difficult  to  approach 


A  Forest  Encampment 

them.  This  banana  orchard  was  the  means  by  which 
Missionary  Mead  discovered  this  beautiful  site  for  a  mission 
station.  He  was  in  the  forest  a  mile  or  two  east,  getting 
out  logs  for  his  saw  pit,  when  a  native  told  him  about 
these  springs,  and  that  they  were  covered  by  N'Zambi's 
garden  of  banana  trees,  which  he  had  planted  long  before 
the  oldest  inhabitants  of  the  country  \\'ere  born.  He  said 
that  everybod)'  knew  that  he  had  planted  them,  and  that 
the  garden  belonged  to  him  ;  so  no  man  had  ever  set  up  a 
claim    of   ownership    to    great  N'Zambi's  garden.       Native 


w 


31 


In  Darkest  Africa  483 

mountaineers  come  every  spring  to  clear  the  garden  and 
prune  the  trees,  but  the  fruit  was  free  to  everyone  who  was 
hungry  and  would  come  to  get  it.  The  wonderful  garden 
was  sought  and  found,  and  soon  after,  when  negotiating 
with  the  Soba  (native  king)  for  peaceable  possession  of  a 
mission  farm  covering  the  river  sources  and  garden,  the 
Soba  solemnly  informed  him  that  he  could  not  acquire  a 
title  to  God's  garden,  but  was  at  liberty,  in  common  with 
others,  to  use  the  fruit.  From  the  mountain  summit  we 
counted  fourteen  native  villages  in  the  vales  below,  but 
none  of  them  very  close  to  the  mission  house.  In  addition 
to  a  common  school  and  general  missionary  work  we 
founded  in  this  mountain  home  a  nursery  mission  for  native 
girls,  preferring  a  location  a  short  distance  from  the 
town.  In  the  afternoon  of  my  visit  we  had  a  call  from  the 
Soba  and  five  of  his  big  men.  My  niece,  Jennie  Taylor, 
M.D.,  with  the  accompaniment  of  her  autoharp,  sang  a 
number  of  hymns  to  them  in  their  native  tongue,  K'mbunda. 
The  king  was  so  taken  with  them  that  he  said  he  would 
"  like  to  come  and  live  at  the  mission."  In  the  evening  I 
preached  and  Brother  Charles  Gordon  passed  the  word  in 
K'mbunda. 

This  station  was  placed  in  charge  of  Matthew  Perara, 
who  in  the  following  letter,  written  originally  in  his  native 
tongue,  tells  of  his  conversion  from  gross  heathen  idolatry: 

'■'■My  Brother  in  Love  ami  Truth,  Bishop  of  the  American 

Missions  : 

"  I  send  you  greeting  in  all  love,  and  pray  God  to  give 
you  many  years  for  the  good  of  the  African.  I  give  my 
testimony:  I  was  born  in  the  Ambacca  country,  in  the 
month  of  October,  1848.  My  father  died  with  blinded  eyes, 
and  he  left  me  with  blinded  eyes  too,  because  he  just  knew 
God  with  his  mouth.  He  knew  to  write  and  to  read  the 
books  of  sin.  We  were  not  taught  to  know  God,  that  he  is 
the  Father  of  love  ;  but  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ  was  told  to 
my  nephew,  and  he  told  me  and  said,  '  My  uncle,  if  you  want 


484  The  Flaming  Torch 

to  be  saved  go  and  buy  the  Bible,  and  this  will  teach  you 
the  way  to  heaven.'  I  bought  a  Bible  from  Missionary 
Gordon,  and  read  the  words  of  God,  and  soon  found  that  I 
had  sin  in  my  heart.  Then  I  journeyed  to  Dondo,  and 
Missionary  Shields  began  to  teach  me,  and  I  repented  of 
my  sins.  Then  the  Lord  proved  my  heart.  I  have  broth- 
ers ;  they  said,  '  Hear  what  we  shall  say  to  thee  ;  thou  hast 
left  thine  idols,  and  thou  shalt  see  thy  three  sons  going  to 
die,  and  also  thy  servants  and  thy  cattle.'  From  Dondo 
my  nephew  and  I  came  to  Malange.  It  was  Sunday,  and 
we  came  into  the  church  of  the  prophet  Mead,  and  when  I 
came  out  I  received  a  letter  that  my  slave  was  dead,  and  I 
went  to  my  house.  All  of  my  brothers  said  to  me,  '  See, 
you  have  thrown  away  }  our  idols,  and  if  )'Ou  and  your  wife 
Seraphina  do  not  return  to  worship  your  idols  you  will 
die.*  We  said  unto  them,  'It  is  better  for  us  to  die  with 
the  Lord  Jesus  than  to  worship  the  idols.'  Soon  after  this 
my  son  Antonio  died.  My  brothers  and  friends  gathered 
together  and  said  that  we  must  pay  for  the  boy's  life,  'be- 
cause we  threw  away  the  idols  and  thus  caused  his  death.' 
My  wife  and  I  answered  nothing.  A  few  months  later 
I  was  sick,  and  my  brothers  said  again,  '  Return  to  the 
idols.'  I  said,  '  No,'  and  the  faith  made  me  better.  A 
month  later  I  was  sick  nigh  unto  death,  and  my  relations 
and  friends  said,  '  Return  to  your  idols,  that  you  may  have 
life.'  I  said,  '  My  life  is  in  God's  hand.  My  life  is  not  in 
the  idols.'  Because  of  my  faith  God  made  me-better;  then 
I  saw  that  I  must  flee  to  the  church  of  the  prophet  Mead. 
Arrived  at  Malange  I  went  to  the  house  of  my  brother-in- 
law,  who  gave  me  a  j^lace  to  stay.  I  was  not  strong  when  I 
came,  and  was  taken  very  sick  again,  and  my  brothers,  when 
they  heard  it,  wrote  me  a  letter,  and  said,  '  Do  hear  us!  the 
wolves  are  eating  your  cattle.  The  idols  that  you  threw 
away,  they  shall  make  you  sick  and  you  shall  die.  We 
beseech  you  to  return.  We  pray  you  come  and  let  us 
worship  the  idols  together.'  I  replied,  'When  I  was  born  I 
was  naked,  and  the  Lord  gave  me  my  son  and  my  slave,  and 


In  Darkest  Africa  485 

the  cattle,  and  the  Lord  took  them  a\va\-,  aiiJ  he  has  done 
good.'  The  Lord  gave  me  another  sou,  and  they  gave  me 
a  place  in  the  mission  of  the  prophet  Mead  and  his  wife,  the 
house  of  great  love.  I  continue  to  praise  God  that  my  son, 
and  my  three  cousins,  \\  ho  are  called  my  disciples,  are  here 
with  me  seeking  the  ways  of  the  Lord.  My  brother  of 
love,  the  bishop,  I  beseech  you  to  pray  for  me  and  my 
brothers  in  the  country  of  Ambacca,  from  whence  I  came, 
that  the  Lord  who  saves  me  may  teach  them  the  true 
knowledge  of  God,  and  send  prophets  to  Ambacca,  that  they 
may  hear  the  word  of  God.  I  have  great  thanks  to  the 
Lord  that  he  has  sent  in  his  love  his  prophets  to  Angola  to 
teach  us  the  way  of  life.  Your  brother, 

"  Matthew  Perara." 

The  Jesuits  established  a  school  in  the  Ambacca  country 
over  two  hundred  years  ago,  in  which  a  few  native  heathen 
through  all  these  years  have  learned  to  read  and  write. 

The  best  working  agency  under  the  Holy  Spirit  for  the 
evangelization  of  Africa  is  her  own  native  agency,  and  the 
best  place  for  its  development  is  where  it  was  born.  If 
there  were  a  thousand  such  trainers  as  Samuel  Mead  and 
Ardella,  his  wife,  there  would  in  a  few  years  be  twenty 
thousand  native  evangelists  and  pastors  in  Africa  under  the 
leadership  of  our  all-conquering  King.  Among  the  many 
others  converted  and  trained  through  their  agency  was 
Bernardo,  the  strong  carrier.  He  was  about  eighteen 
years  of  age  when  he  first  came  to  the  chapel,  where  he 
listened  to  the  word  of  God  with  great  interest.  He 
manifested  a  desire  to  learn  to  read,  and  was  told  by  the 
missionary  that  if  he  would  take  a  place  then  vacant  in  the 
saw  pit  he  would  receive  wages  for  each  day's  work  and  be 
instructed  each  evening.  His  reply  was  that  he  could  hold 
up  his  end  of  the  work  with  any  man,  but  that  he  would 
not  accept  any  other  pay  than  to  be  taught  to  read.  As 
the  sawing  had  been  interrupted  for  a  few  days  he  was  first 
employed    in   carrying   beans,   mandioca,   and    flour   to    the 


486  The  Flaming  Torch 

mission  station  at  Nhangue-a-pepo,  a  distance  of  fifty-five 
miles.  When  he  reported  for  duty  he  was  given  the  usual 
load  of  seventy  pounds.  After  balancing  it  for  a  moment 
above  his  head  he  said,  "Give  me  another  load."  He 
then  tried  the  double  burden,  and  said,  "Give  me  half  of 
another  load."  With  this  large,  bulky  cargo  he  walked  off 
with  a  steady  pace,  made  good  time  on  his  journey  over 
mountains,  through  swamps,  and  across  rivers,  and  when  he 
returned  he  carried  about  the  same  weight  of  goods  from  the 
lower  station.  While  he  labored  daily  in  the  saw  pit  he  con- 
tinued to  attend  the  services  in  the  evening  at  the  chapel,  and 
finally  said,  "  I  believe  these  are  the  true  words  of  God. "  Mis- 
sionary Mead  said  to  him,  "  Believe  and  trust  him  ;  if  you 
believe  and  cannot  trust  him  that  is  not  good."  Now  com- 
menced the  struggle  for  the  liberty  of  his  soul.  He  Avent  to 
his  home,  threw  away  all  his  charms,  and  said  to  his  people, 
*'  God  has  bought  me  with  his  blood,  and  him  I  am  going  to 
serve."  They  laughed  at  him,  thinking  it  was  a  notion  that 
would  soon  pass  away;  but  he  was  firm,  told  therh  of  the 
foolishness  of  idol  worship,  and  commenced  to  teach  them 
the  way  of  God.  When  he  was  taken  dangerously  ill  the 
witch  doctor  came  to  see  who  had  occasioned  it.  Bernardo 
dismissed  him  at  once,  saying,  "  I  belong  to  the  great  God, 
who  made  all  things,  and  he  will  make  me  well  or  take  me 
up  to  himself  in  the  sk\\"  As  he  belonged  to  the  family  of 
the  king  of  the  tribe  they  set  the  witch  doctor  at  work  to 
discover  who  had  bewitched  him.  When  they  had  gathered 
for  that  purpose,  and  spent  some  time  in  their  incantations, 
they  looked  into  the  room  to  see  how  the  patient  was 
getting  along.  To  their  great  surprise,  the  place  was  empty; 
he  had  skipped  out.  That  night  the  missionary  heard  a 
knock  at  his  door  and  a  feeble  voice  calling  his  name.  He 
opened  it  quickly,  and  Bernardo  said:  "  I  have  the  fever; 
will  you  give  me  a  place  to  lie  down  ?  I  cannot  let  them 
call  on  the  idol  for  me,  so  I  left  them.  If  you  will  give  me 
a  place  to  rest  I  think  I  will  soon  be  well  again."  In  a  few 
days  he  was  up,  and  desired   to  live  at  the  mission,  but  he 


o 


In  Darkest  Africa  489 

was  told  that  he  should  let  his  light  shine  among"  his  people. 
He  returned  to  his  village,  and  soon  had  a  large  class  of 
boys,  and  though  bitterly  persecuted,  and  finally  almost 
killed,  he  remained  true  to  his  faith,  and  led  many  others 
to  Christ.  When  Rev.  George  Grenfell,  the  Congo  pio- 
neer and  superintendent  of  the  Baptist  missions,  visited 
Malange  he  heard  a  sermon  from  this  eloquent  Christian 
orator,  and  inquired,  "Where  was  this  man  educated?" 
"Over  there  in  our  little  schoolhouse."  "  Impossible! 
I  have  not  heard  such  preaching  in  Africa."  "  And  yet  it 
is  true  ;  when  he  came  to  us  he  was  an  ordinary  carrier,  ex- 
cept in  his  extr.iordin.iry  physical  strength,  and  now  he 
stands  like  a  giant  for  the  truth."  Bernardo  was  married  to 
Luzea,  a  girl  who  had  been  trained  in  our  mission  school. 
Her  talent  for  music  was  developed  under  the  personal  in- 
struction of  Mrs.  Ardella  Mead,  and  she  became  the  organ- 
ist for  the  church  services.  Being  one  of  the  oldest  students 
and  an  apt  scholar,  she  became  the  assistant  of  the  teacher 
in  the  day  school.  Miss  Bertha  Mead,  ai.d  finally  her  suc- 
cessor. On  one  of  my  visits  Miss  Bertha  translated  my  ser- 
mon to  the  native  congregation,  and  the  same  afternoon 
delivered  an  address  in  the  Sunday  school  service  which  was 
attended  by  an  embassage  from  the  Lunda  country,  six 
hundred  miles  distant,  including  one  of  their  great  poten- 
tates. As  she  graphically  described  the  sin  of  the  first 
Adam  and  its  consequences,  and  the  interposition  of  the 
second  Adam,  who  drank  the  cup  of  death  for  the  whole 
human  race,  the  old  king's  face  brightened;  then  he  laughed 
and  yelled  and  clapped  his  hands  for  joy.  Six  weeks  later 
this  lovely  young  missionary  was  stricken  with  a  fatal  Afri- 
can disease.  Luzea  clung  to  her  teacher  and  friend  and 
cried,  "  O,  Bertha,  you  must  not  leave  me  !  "  Bertha  replied, 
"  God  has  called  me,  and  I  must  go."  With  a  despairing  cry 
she  exclaimed,  "  Then  take  me  WMth  you,  for  I  do  not  want 
to  stay  when  you  are  gone."  "  No,  Luzea,"  said  the  dying 
missionary,  "  God  has  a  work  for  you  to  do,  and  you  must 
take  it  up  where  I  leave  it." 


490 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  XLIV 

Missionary  Heroes  and  Heroines 

EW  of  our  successful  missionaries  have  returned 
home    on    furlough.       As   a   rule   they    have 
adopted   the   country   to   which   the    call   of 
God  brought  them,  and  have  become  so  in 
love  with  the  work,  so  absorbed  in  the  best 
interests  of  the  people  they  came  to  lead  into 
the  light,  that  they  could  not  be  persuaded 
to  be   separated  from   the   work  even   for  a 
brief  season. 
Many    noble    lives,    heroes    and    heroines  for  Christ  and 
Africa,  have  taken  a  quick  passage  for  heaven  after  a  short 
or  long  period  of  service.     If  the  story  of  their  self-sacrifice 
and    devotion   unto   death  should    be   written   this  volume 
would   not  be  sufficient  to  contain  it.     Not  a  few  of  these 
repeatedly  declined   the  offer  of  funds  for  passage  home,  or 
to  the  islands,  for  rest,  preferring  rather  to  apply  the  pro- 
ceeds of  drafts   sent  to    them  for  that  purpose  for  the  fur- 
therance of  the  work  in  which  they  were  engaged. 

Of  the  many  pictures  of  missionary  devotion  unto  death 
that  cross  my  inner  vision  now  is  that  of  Grace  White,  the 
godly  mistress  of  a  wild  West  Coast  tribe  brought  into  sub- 
jection by  her  unflinching  courage  and  tireless  zeal.  In  the 
driving  away  of  their  first  missionary  and  his  wife  they  had 
demonstrated  their  all  but  untamable  spirit,  but  when  I  said 
to  this  girl  who  had  been  tenderly  raised,  "  Would  you  be  will- 
ing to  go  to  live  among  this  warlike  people  ?  "  she  promptly 
replied,  "  I  am  here  for  any  duty  to  which  you  may  assign 
me."  She  won  their  hearts,  and  gave  her  life  in  years  of  cease- 
less service.  And  she  is  a  type  of  our  West  Coast  martyrs. 
On  the  bank  of  the  Congo  I  see  Bradley  L.  Burr  sitting 
by  his  cot  after  a  hard  day's  journey,  and  he  writes:  "  It  is 


In  Darkest  Africa  491 

nearly  midnight,  and  my  body  is  so  covered  with  sores  that 
with  difficulty  I  can  lie  down  at  all,  but  1  must  seek  a  little 
rest,  as  my  ulcerated  feet  have  a  long  path  before  them  on 
the  morrow,  for  I  must  get  to  my  people  at  Kimpoko,  where 
I  am  greatly  needed."  His  dauntless  spirit  was  fellow  to  a 
score  who  left  Congo  shores  for  the  banks  of  the  river  of 
God  in  paradise. 

Of  those  who  have  "  counted  it  all  joy  "  to  suffer  for  the 
sake  of  the  Gospel  in  Angola,  a  mother  who  has  lately  re- 
turned with  the  remnant  of  her  family  is  an  illustration. 
The  two  children  of  the  first  number  to  give  their  lives  for 
Christ  in  that  province  were  the  children  of  Minnie  Mead. 
When  her  husband  died  at  Nhangue-a-Pepo  his  own  boys 
constructed  his  coffin,  his  weeping  widow  read  the  service 
for  the  dead,  and  the  little  family  were  the  only  white  faces 
that  looked  into  his  grave.  Shadows  there  are,  but  every 
one  of  them  has  been  brightened  by  the  divine  presence  and 
transformed  into  a  holy  joy. 

The  far  interior  line  of  these  Angola  missions  was 
touched  by  a  martyr  spirit.  Dr.  William  R.  Summers  was 
not  physically  robust, but  full  of  zeal  and  devotion;  "his  sword 
was  too  sharp  for  the  scabbard."  lie  conquered  almost 
unsurmountable  difficulties  to  reach  the  Kassai.  His  outfit 
was  the  purchase  of  his  own  medical  service  in  the  prov- 
ince, his  caravan  the  outcome  of  his  own  labors.  Thrice 
his  death  by  poison  was  attempted  by  his  own  attendants, 
but  he  pushed  on  fearlessly.  He  preached  his  first  sermon 
under  peculiar  circumstances.  A  man  he  was  hastening  on 
the  path  to  aid  died  before  his  arrival — a  trader  and  a  Ro- 
man Catholic.  The  grave  was  in  unconsecrated,  heathen 
ground  ;  the  service  was  read  in  English  by  a  Protestant 
and  translated  into  Portuguese  by  a  Jew,  and  Summers 
spoke  from  the  text,  "  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life." 
From  Luluaburg  he  wrote  of  the  people  casting  their  idols 
into  the  river  when  they  heard  of  his  coming;  of  their 
hunger  and  thirst  for  the  word  of  life  ;  of  his  construction 
of  mission  buildings  and  struggles  with  the  language.     And 


492  The  Flaming  Torch 

then,  more  than  a  thousand  miles  from  supplies,  his  medi- 
cine chest  empty,  his  last  letter  a  loving  tribute  to  the 
goodness  of  God  in  his  personal  experience,  and  an  appeal 
for  missionaries  to  enter  the  open  door,  he  breathed  out  his 
gentle  spirit  on  the  bank  of  the  swiftly  flowing"  Kassai. 

These  are  but  types  of  the  noble  manhood  and  woman- 
hood that  has  been  laid  on  the  altar  of  Africa's  redemption 
in  our  Methodist  missions  ;  and  many  of  them  are  still  at 
the  front ;  of  these  quite  a  number  are  of  the  pioneer  band 
— the  Witheys,  Gordon,  Dodson,  the  Meads,  pillars  of  the 
work,  reinforced  by  others. 

Only  after  fourteen  years  of  toil,  with  the  investment 
of  all  their  worldly  goods  and  physical  strength,  have 
Samuel  and  Ardella  Mead  consented  to  accept  a  little  rest 
in  the  home  land.  As  many  of  our  friends  are  familiar  with 
articles  from  his  pen  I  will  close  this  chapter  with  a  little 
letter  describing  their  departure  from  Africa: 

"On  the  morning  of  the  iith  of  April  we  had  said  good- 
bye to  all  of  our  precious  family  at  Quessua,  and  at  9  A.  M. 
commenced  our  long  journey  to  our  native  land,  America. 
We  little  thought  what  it  would  cost  us  to  look  into  the 
tearful  eyes  and  hear  the  sobs  and  cries  of  our  dear  native 
children  ;  but  our  God  helped  us,  and  our  dear  brother,  C.  W. 
Gordon,  was  a  comfort  to  us,  knowing  of  his  true,  tender 
heart.  He  had  come  up  from  Malange,  and  was  with  us  on 
the  Lord's  Day.  Many  of  our  boys  in  the  mission  helped 
to  carry  our  things  to  Dondo.  The  latter  rains  had  fully 
come,  and  our  journey  was  slow.  We  reached  the  banks  of 
the  Lucalla  River  Monday,  the  i8th.  We  found  the  rains 
had  swollen  the  river;  it  had  overflowed  its  banks  ;  the  tum- 
bling, rushing  water  seemed  to  be  in  a  rage,  and  the  little 
jangadas  that  we  were  to  cross  the  river  on  did  not  inspire 
confidence.  Jangada  is  the  name  of  a  reed  that  grows  plen- 
tifully on  the  river  banks.  They  take  the  reeds,  tie  them  in 
bundles,  take  three  of  these  bundles  and  tie  them  together, 
and  when  finished  they  are  like  the  letter  A.  The  one  that 
floated  us  across  this  river  was  six  feet  nine  inches  long,  and 


w 


»-> 


'jKr*—?  i»i'iiiiii«a»K'^-\wu  t 


(X, 


In  Darkest  Africa  495 

the  widest  place  was  two  feet  six  and  a  half  inches  wide. 
Your  feet  hung  over  the  wide  end  in  the  waten  The  point 
is  too  narrow  to  lay  wholly  on  the  jangada.  The  pilot 
swims  along  between  your  feet,  pushing  his  little  craft  in 
front  of  him.  They  tell  us  they  are  perfectly  safe,  but  ob- 
serving them  nine  days  on  the  banks  of  the  river  convinced 
me  they  were  safe  enough  on  dry  land,  but  not  altogether 
safe  in  the  water,  and  especially  when  the  water  was  dash- 
ing around  us  as  it  is  at  this  time  of  year. 

"  I  will  give  you  what  A\e  saw  the  third  morning  on  the 
banks.  It  had  been  raining  much  in  the  night,  much 
flood  wood  was  passing  down  the  river,  and  the  current  was 
stronger  than  ever.  The  first  to  cross  was  our  boy  Susa. 
He  had  been  up  to  a  village  to  buy  us  some  food.  He 
landed  safely,  but  the  man  that  came  next  went  down  the 
river.  I  was  w^atching  him  with  my  glass  and  could  see  the 
expression  on  his  face  ;  it  was  not  a  comfortable  look  he 
had.  But  just  before  he  reached  the  rapids  he  caught  on 
the  grass  and  was  saved.  The  next  man  had  a  sack  of  cop- 
per and  salt  and  some  cloth.  They  went  down  and  he  lost 
all,  but  the  man  escaped.  This  put  an  end  to  crossing  the 
river  while  the  water  was  so  high. 

"  On  the  27th  of  April  we  thought  it  safe  to  cross.  We 
sent  our  trunks  over  first,  then  Mrs.  Mead  and  I  placed 
ourselves  on  these  little  grass  rafts.  My  wife  commenced 
to  pray,  and  I  thought  it  was  the  most  proper  time  to  pray, 
but  before  Ardie  had  finished  her  prayer  she  heard  one  of 
our  boys  say,  *  Here  you  are,  Aunt  Ardie;  you  are  across 
the  river.'  She  opened  her  eyes  in  surprise,  not  aware  that 
she  had  got  into  the  current.  But  my  raft  at  the  start  gave 
me  a  good  ducking  into  the  water  and  kept  at  it  till  I  was 
across.  These  little  rafts  are  so  light  the  pilot  lifts  them 
up  and  down  on  the  weaves  at  his  ease;  but  I  w^as  not  as 
light  as  dear  wife,  and  so  I  went  through  the  water,  and  the 
water  went  over  me.  But  we  soon  heard  a  very  cheerful 
voice  say  to  us,  '  Come  up  to  my  house  ;  I  have  a  good 
room  for  you  to  change  your  clothes.'     We  were  conducted 


496 


The  Flaming  Torch 


into  a  very  comfortable  room,  and  as  soon  as  we  had  on  our 
dry  clothes  a  good  dinner  was  prepared  for  us  and  heartily 
, ■     enjoyed.    Every- 

thing   was    done 
;  .  '':^  I     for  us  that  could 

I  ■':  I    be  done  by  this 

ki  nd-h  carted 
trader.  Edward 
A.  Monteiro  de 
Siloa,  the  head 
of  the  govern- 
ment at  Am- 
bacca,  ranks  as 
captain  in  the 
regular  army.  He 
had  heard  we 
were  lodged  on 
the  banks  of  the 
river,  and  showed 
us  much  kind- 
ness. His  office 
was  about  five 
miles  from  the 
river  at  a  place 
called  Pambas. 
He  had  sent  us 
a  box  of  nice 
food, canned  fruit, 
fish,  bread,  and 
crackers.  He  pro- 
cured men  and  fur- 
nished hammocks 
to  takeustoDon- 

D       c-    T       J   A  J  n     ^/,     J  do, and  invited  us 

Rev.  S.   J.  and  Ardella  Mead 

to  dine  with  him. 

"We    reached    Delatanda    the    next   day  about    1 1    A.M. 

This   is  quite  a  lar;^e  phace,  about    sixty  trading  houses  and 


In  Darkest  Africa  497 

about  a  hundred  white  people  ;  some  very  fine  houses.  I 
saw  a  large  redwood  house,  with  two  hundred  feet  front 
veranda.  As  soon  as  I  reached  it  the  foreman  of  the  estab- 
lishment greeted  me  with  '  Come  in,  and  have  your  dinner,' 
with  a  hearty  good  will  I  have  never  found  save  in  the 
Angola  Portuguese  people.  This  house  belongs  to  the 
rich  firm  of  Susa,  Lara  &  Co.,  who  have  about  a  million  in 
trade  in  Angola,  a  house  in  Malange,  Dondo,  and  Loanda, 
The  company  does  a  good  business,  and  the  kindness  of  the 
foreman  to  the  native  traders  speaks  well  for  the  firm. 

"  We  were  off  Friday  morning,  April  29,  in  good  season. 
The  first  twelve  miles  was  the  most  beautiful  road  I  ever 
traveled.  It  was  through  the  plantation  of  the  National 
Bank.  When  I  first  came  to  this  plantation  I  got  out  of  my 
hammock,  saying  to  myself,  '  I  will  walk  through  this  gar- 
den ;  '  so  I  walked  till  I  got  tired,  then  I  got  into  my  ham- 
mock and  rode  and  looked  till  my  eyes  got  tired,  fell  asleep, 
awoke,  and  still  we  seemed  to  be  in  the  midst  of  a  most 
beautiful  garden.  Soon  we  came  to  a  place  where  we  could 
hear  the  puffing  of  an  engine  and  the  clashing  of  machinery 
preparing  the  coffee  for  market.  In  the  midst  of  a  grove  of 
tall  palm  trees  was  a  fine  house,  with  all  the  modern  improve- 
ments to  promote  ease  and  comfort.  This  was  a  new  man- 
sion just  finished.  While  I  stood  with  hat  in  hand,  looking 
with  admiration  and  astonishment  at  the  beautiful  surround- 
ings, a  pleasant  and  smiling  gentleman  said  to  me  in  a  ver}' 
kind  voice,  '  Would  you  like  to  look  over  the  house  and 
grounds?'  We  then  walked  through  the  grounds  and  up  to 
the  house  on  the  bluff.  W'e  saw  a  rubber  plantation,  where 
they  had  just  commenced  to  plant  and  cultivate  the  rubber 
tree,  also  the  cotton  tree,  grapes,  the  tree  from  which  we 
get  our  cjuinine,  and  all  kinds  of  fruits,  but,  thank  God, 
there  was  no  cursed  rum  manufactured  on  these  beautiful 
grounds  !  This  plantation  from  the  beginning  to  the  end 
was  four  leagues,  or  twelve  English  miles,  long." 
32 


498 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  XLV 

Heroes  of  the  Cong-o 

UR  second  line  of  mission  stations 
to  extend  from  the  coast  to 
the  interior  was  opened  on  the 
lower  Congo.  The  first  of  these 
was  located  at  N'tombe,  an  hour 
and  a  half  by  boat  or  canoe  from 
Banana,  the  port  of  entry,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river.  For  ten 
years  it  continued  to  be  in  charge 
of  its  first  missionary,  an  educated 
Irish  lady,  who  paid  her  own  pas- 
sage to  Africa  to  devote  her  life 
to  the  elevation  of  the  African 
people.  Tall  and  commanding  in 
appearance,  characterized  by  great  simplicity,  sincerity,  can- 
dor, and  courage,  Miss  Mary  Kildare  was  well  calculated  to 
become  a  successful  missionary.  Her  courage  was  a  terror 
to  the  oppressor.  On  one  occasion,  soon  after  arriving  at 
her  mission  house,  I  heard  the  heavy  strokes  of  the  lash 
on  the  bare  back  of  one  of  Africa's  oppressed  sons,  and  she 
rushed  into  the  presence  of  the  official  who  ordered  the  in- 
fliction, shouting,  "Quit  that!  quit  that!"  and  the  opera- 
tion soon  ceased.  On  a  visit  to  her  station  two  years  later, 
we  heard  the  shrieking  of  a  woman  in  a  village  near  by. 
Mary  sprang  to  her  feet  in  an  instant,  saying,  "  It's  a  man 
beating  his  wife  !  "  and  hastened  to  the  scene  of  strife.  In 
a  few  minutes  she  returned,  leading  the  weeping  woman  by 
the  hand,  and,  seating  her  on  a  rock,  gave  her  some  sugar 
to  sweeten  her  up. 

I  inquired,  "  What  was  the  trouble.  Sister  Mary  ?  " 

"  As  I  ran  up  I  saw  her  husband  strike  her  over  her  bare 


In  Darkest  Africa 


499 


shoulders  with  a  pole,"  she  replied,  "  and  I  put  out  my 
hand  and  said  to  liim,  in  his  own  language,  '  Don't  you 
dare  to  strike  her  again  !  '  and  he  did  not." 

"  Won't  he  beat  her  when  she  returns  home  ?  " 
"No;  he  will  get  over  his  anger   in  a  few  minutes,  and 
there  will  be  no  more  of  it  until  he  gets  into  a  passion  on 
some  new  occasion." 

Miss  Kildare's  fearlessness  in  her  dealings  with  the  na- 
tives was  one  reason  of 
her  excellent  control  over 
them,  and  has  been  the 
occasion  for  saving  many 
a  poor  fellow  from  dread- 
ful torture.  In  their  ut- 
ter disregard  for  human 
life  and  bondage  to  witch- 
craft they  add  to  the 
sorrows  of  life  the  hor- 
rors of  heathenism.  Their 
tortures  for  one  accused 
of  witchcraft  were  revolt- 
ing. Mary  Kildare  heard 
of  a  man  who  was  to  en- 
dure such  before  being 
put  to  death,  and  has- 
tened to  the  place  of  exe- 
cution.  Some  one  had 
died  ;  this  man  was  ac- 
cused of  bewitching  him  and  must  prove  his  guilt  or  in- 
nocence by  taking  a  draught  of  poison.  When  he  was 
pronounced  guilty  preparation  was  made  for  the  death 
torture.  The  witch  doctor  with  a  piece  of  chalk  indi- 
cated on  his  face  and  naked  body  the  lines  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  the  point  of  the  executioner's  sword.  Just  as  this 
poor  fellow  was  about  to  be  submitted  to  this  cutting  tor- 
ture the  scream  of  a  woman  rang  through  the  vale,  the 
crowd  of  heathen  parted,  and  the  tall  form  of  Mary  Kildare 


On  Congo   Shores 


500  The  Flaming  Torch 

stood  between  victim  and  executioner.  Stooping  over  his 
prostrate  form,  she  with  her  white  cambric  liandkerchief 
wiped  away  the  chalk  lines  and  quickly  arose  to  bid  defi- 
ance to  his  tormentors.  They  stormed  and  threatened  in 
vain  ;  she  maintained  her  position  for  three  hours,  until  the 
poor  fellow  died  in  peace.  She  was  no  more  afraid  of  sav- 
age beasts  and  poisonous  reptiles.  One  night  she  heard  a 
commotion  in  her  poultry  yard,  and  in  the  moonlight  dis- 
covered an  immense  cobra  in  the  act  of  swallowing  one  of 
her  hens.  Calling  her  adopted  native  children  to  her  assist- 
ance, with  true  Irish  grit  she  armed  theni  with  shillalahs,  and 
they  beat  the  reptile  to  death. 

From  Banana  we  ascend  the  river  one  hundred  miles  on 
the  north  bank.  Old  Vivi,  founded  by  Mr.  Stanley,  is 
reached  by  climbing  a  steep  ascent  of  half  a  mile  or  more 
from  the  steamboat  landing.  Proceeding  by  the  same  road 
along  the  slope  of  the  ridge  on  which  old  Vivi  stands,  and 
thence  across  a  deep  glen  and  up  another  steep  hill,  we 
reach  "  Vivi  Top,"  the  site  of  the  first  capital  of  the  State. 
It  is  located  on  a  broad  and  beautiful  plateau  commanding  a 
full  view  of  several  miles  of  the  river,  with  its  whirlpools  and 
sweeping  currents.  The  villages  of  Matadi,  starting  point  of 
the  Congo  Railway;  Tundua,  the  site  of  Underhill  Mission 
of  the  English  Baptists;  and  several  trading  stations,  all 
dressed  in  white  paint,  grace  the  scene  presented  on  the 
south  bank  of  the  great  river.  When  Boma  was  made  the 
capital  the  government  buildings  were  removed,  and  we 
bought  the  propert}',  comprising  about  twelve  acres  of 
land  and  a  few  small  buildings,  for  our  mission  purposes. 
Although  intended  as  a  receiving  station  the  soil  proved 
unexpectedly  productive;  mango  and  palm  trees  made  a 
remarkable  growth  and  early  fruitage,  and  the  garden  pro- 
duced so  abundantly  as  to  early  become  a  means  of  self- 
support.  This  department  received  material  assistance  from 
the  early  introduction  of  some  live  stock,  consisting  of  eight 
choice  African  sheep,  twent\'-five  goats,  and  a  hundred 
chickens.     All  had  to  be  kept  safely  housed  at  night  to  pro- 


In  Darkest  Africa 


501 


tcct  them  from  the  leopards,  but  even  then  one  of  these 
dangerous  customers  reached  his  paw  through  a  sh'ght  open- 
ing in  the  wall  one  night  and  killed  a  goat.  The  first  morn- 
ing I  saw  them  come  rushing  out  of  the  door  of  their  fortress 
I  was  surprised  and  amused  to  see  three  monkeys  mounted 
on  the  backs  of  goats,  as  pompousl}'  riding  out  to  the  grazing 
grounds  as  if  the  flock  belonged  to  them.  They  lodged  with 
the  goats  at  night  and  spent  most  of  their  time  with  them 
through  the  day,  and  were  often  seen  riding  as  erect   as   a 


TW^ 


Missionary  Postal  Service  on  the  Congo 


drill  sergeant  (^f  cavalry.  A  lesson  of  sad  experience  led 
our  missionary,  Rev.  James  C.  Tcter,  to  build  a  snakeproof 
poultry  house  of  solid  masonr}'.  Mrs.  Teter  went  into  the 
house  first  used  for  tliat  purpose,  and,  stooping  over  a  nest, 
felt  something  lik'e  a  jet  of  sjM-ay  coming  into  her  face, 
quickly  repeated  two  or  three  times,  filling  her  eyes.  It  came 
from  a  "  spitting  snak'e  "  which  lay  coiled  up  in  the  nest. 
All  that  night  she  suffered,  in  total  blindness,  indescribable 
agony  of  pain.  15)^  the  prompt  application  of  powerful 
remedies  her   life   was    saved    and    si^ht    restored,    but    her 


502  The  Flaming  Torch 

health  was  seriously  impaired  by  the  poison.  Our  mission- 
ary, Teter,  had  a  happier  experience  with  his  poultry  in  the 
early  days  of  his  sojourn  on  the  Congo.  A  young  pullet 
took  kindly  to  the  big  Virginian  and  made  its  nest  under 
the  cot  in  which  he  slept.  He  observed  it  with  a  friendly 
interest,  and  after  a  few  weeks  was  much  gratified  to  see  her 
come  forth  followed  by  eleven  little  chicks.  Looking  into 
her  nest  he  found  one  egg  remaining,  and  as  he  was  just 
starting  out  for  the  work  of  the  day- he  placed  it  in  the 
crown  of  his  hat.  He  was  a  tremendous  worker,  always 
teaching  the  natives  by  vigorous  example,  and,  laboring  with 
pick  and  shovel  under  the  vertical  rays  of  the  sun,  he  had 
almost  forgotten  the  egg  in  his  hat  till  toward  the  noon 
hour,  when  he  was  surprised  by  a  chirp  and  found  himself 
the  happy  possessor  of  a  little  white  chick. 

Foreseeing  that  the  work  on  the  lower  river  would  be 
of  less  importance,  it  was  my  resolve  to  push  up  to  Stanle\' 
Pool  and  use  that  for  a  base  of  operations  in  the  work  in  the 
interior.  For  this  work  a  steamer  was  needed  for  the 
upper  river. 

An  appeal  was  made  to  the  American  people  for  popular 
subscriptions  of  one  dollar  each  ;  they  responded  grandly, 
and  I  left  an  order  with  a  Liverpool  firm  for  the  boat,  and 
sailed  back  to  Africa.  But  through  a  misunderstanding  of 
our  needs  the  order  was  changed,  and  when  we  came  to  the 
machiner}^  of  the  steamer  it  was  found  impossible  to  get  it 
over  the  steep  Congo  mountains.  Brothers  White  and 
Rasmussen,  who  were  among  the  first  missionaries  on  the 
Congo,  had  had  almost  exclusive  oversight  of  the  transport 
work  and  had  already  moved  all  the  other  parts  as  far  as 
Isangila.  Had  the  railway  which  is  now  running  from  Ma- 
tadi  to  Leopoldville  been  in  operation,  the  solution  of  the 
matter  would  have  been  easy.  As  it  was  the  ocean  steamers 
had  not  advanced  above  Boma,  and  it  was  not  thought  that 
they  could  go  farther;  so,  after  due  consideration,  it  was  de- 
cided to  launch  the  steainer  on  the  lower  river  for  work  be- 
tween   Matadi   and    Boma.      It   is   worthy    of  note  that   so 


In  Darkest  Africa 


503 


carefully  had  each  piece  of  the  steamer  been  guarded  that 
although  taken  up  and  brought  back  from  Isangila  to  Vivi. 
a  distance  of  some  sixty  miles,  over  steep  mountains  and 
through  rivers,  not  one  piece  was  lacking  in  the  final  con- 
struction, l^ut  in  the  meantime  Captain  Buoy,  a  Danish 
pilot  in  the  government  employ,  had  spent  months  in  a  lit- 
tle boat  taking  soundings  and  observations  of  the  water  be- 
tween Boma  and  Matadi,  and  at  last  became  convinced  that 
he  could  take  an  ocean  steamer  up,  which  he  did  shortly 
before  the  Aniie  Taylor  wdiS  launched. 

The  first  of  the  Congo  party  to  be  mortally  stricken  was 


Punishment  of  a  Congo  Slave 

Rev.  John  A.  Newth.  He  had  located  in  a  beautiful  spot  in 
the  thrifty  town  of  Sadi  Kabanza,  and  was  happy  in  his 
work.  On  the  8th  of  February,  1888,  messengers  came 
from  there  to  Vivi,  saying  that  Brother  Newth  was  sick, 
lirothers  White  and  Rasmussen  went  up  the  next  morning 
before  the  break  of  day,  but  found  that  he  had  passed  away 
the  evening  before.  Brother  Rasmussen  made  a  coffin  of 
empty  boxes,  and  in  the  afternoon  of  February  9  they 
laid  him  to  rest  under  a  tree  near  the  house.  Brother  White 
reading  the  burial  service.  The  work  was  not  then  what  it 
is  now,  and  the  discomforts  necessarily  connected  with  pio- 


504  The  Flaming  Torch 

neering  discouraged  many,  who  retired  from  the  field.  Sev- 
eral of  the  true-hearted  died,  and  the  heavy  care  and  burden 
fell  on  the  faithful  few.  It  is  likely  that  few  if  any  deserve 
more  credit  of  the  first  five  years'  work  on  the  Congo  than 
Sister  Teter.  She  had  a  great  deal  of  faith  and  lots  of  grit. 
Although  her  body  was  weak,  she  was  so  plucky  that  she 
took  charge  of  the  domestic  work  at  Vivi,  and  made  herself 
of  greatest  usefulness  to  the  men  who  bore  the  heat  and  bur- 
den of  the  day,  cooking,  mending,  sewing,  nursing,  trading 
with  the  natives,  and  teaching  the  boys. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  of  the  twenty  missionaries  con- 
nected with  the  Congo  work  who  have  been  called  to  their 
reward  only  three  were  women,  and  not  one  of  those  died 
on  the  field.  Sisters  Walker  and  Snape  both  died  at  sea, 
while  Sister  Jensen  died  in  Copenhagen. 

On  the  i6th  of  August,  1889,  I  arrived  at  Isangila,  having 
made  the  trip  from  Vivi  to  visit  the  Isangila  Mission  for  the 
first  time.  This  station  was  expressly  for  transport,  it  being 
at  the  foot  of  the  lower  waterway  of  eighty  miles  between 
Isangila  and  Manyanga,  although  later  on  used  for  a  suc- 
cessful school  by  Brothers  Snape,  Rasniussen,  and  Jensen 
successively.  One  of  the  first  pupils  in  this  school  is  now 
preparing  for  the  ministry.  Uweba  was  a  little  slave  boy  of 
the  upper  hills.  Some  carriers  from  his  town  in  passing  a 
village  stole  and  ate  a  pig.  The  thieves  Avere  discovered,  res- 
titution demanded,  and  Uweba  was  given  to  the  owner  of  the 
pig  in  its  place.  This  brought  him  to  Sala  Mpue's  town,  five 
miles  or  so  from  Isangila.  Here  he  got  a  native  sore  on  his 
heel  and  became  useless  to  his  king,  who  brought  him  down 
to  Brother  Snape.  He  took  the  boy,  doctored  and  taught 
him  for  over  three  years,  and  under  his  tuition  Uweba  pro- 
gressed wonderfully.  While  Brother  Rasmussen  had  charge 
of  the  mission  he  professed  conversion,  but  when  the  king 
threatened  him  with  death  if  he  were  baptized  he  began  to 
be  afraid.  When  his  three  years  were  up  his  king  demanded 
that  he  should  return  to  his  town,  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
bringing  him  back  into  heathenism.     At  last  his  kine  took 


In  Darkest  Africa  507 

him  down  the  river  as  a  State  carrier,  and  being  near  Vivi 
he  escaped  to  that  place,  when  he  began  immediately  to  pre- 
pare for  evangelistic  work  under  Miss  Larsen's  guidance.  So 
thoroughly  did  he  prove  the  genuine  love  he  bore  to  Christ 
that  he  was  baptized  at  his  own  request  by  my  successor, 
Bishop  Hartzell,  on  the  25th  of  April,  1897,  together  with  a 
girl,  Nsala,  who  had  been  rescued  from  the  dank  mangrove 
swamps  by  Sister  Kildare.  These  two,  with  the  latter's  lit- 
tle brother,  Mala,  were  taken  by  Miss  Larsen  to  Angola, 
where  she  was  transferred  by  Bishop  Hartzell. 

Near  Isangila  was  a  large  populous  district  known  as  the 
Banza  Yanga  country,  governed  by  seven  kings,  each  having 
a  large  town.  These  kings  had  repeatedly  asked  for  a  mis- 
sionary, so  I  appointed  Brother  Rasmussen  to  that  station. 
A  brief  description  of  the  country,  methods  of  our  mission- 
aries' work,  and  the  eagerness  of  these  people  for  the  Gospel, 
is  contained  in  Brother  Rasmussen's  report  of  his  trip  : 

"  INIay  14,  1 891.  Left  Vivi  for  Banza  Yanga,  to  make 
arrangements  ^ith  the  natives  about  a  site  for  a  mission. 
From  Sala  Kindunga  we  traveled  on  a  large  plateau,  where 
the  grass  in  most  places  was  so  high  nothing  could  be  seen. 
Unally  the  grass  became  thinner  and  shorter,  and  I  saw 
that  we  were  walking  on  the  edge  of  a  large  vallc}^  in  which 
numerous  towns  appeared  among  the  woods  and  tall  reeds. 
About  5  r.  M.  we  descended  the  plateau  into  the  valley  and 
entered  a  small  town  called  Madiata.  The  tent  was  soon 
pitched  and  my  traveling  bed  put  up,  which  astonished  the 
natives  a  good  deal.  While  a  man  was  cooking  m}-  rice  the 
king  came  along  and  dashed  me  a  chicken.  Of  course  he 
expected  to  be  dashed  in  return.  .After  supper  I  wrote  a 
little,  and  some  natives  came  around  nn-  tent.  I  commenced 
to  converse  with  them  and  gave  them  a  little  talk  on  the 
things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of  God.  They  seemed  in- 
terested, and  begged  me  to  stay  to  settle  a  palaver  between 
the  king  of  this  town  and  another  king.  I  consented,  and 
the}'  went  to  fetch  the  king.  I  was  told  that  this  king  had 
bought  a  woman  from  the  other  king  and  paid  a  big  price 


508  The  Flaming  Torch 

for  her.  When  he  had  received  her  she  died,  and  the  former 
owner  now  refused  to  pay  back  his  cloth.  A  king  from  yet 
another  town  came  along  with  a  number  of  people,  and  they 
sat  down  in  front  of  my  tent.  I  used  the  opportunity  to 
give  them  a  salvation  and  temperance  talk.  They  listened 
with  great  attention,  and  were  much  amused  when  I  reasoned 
out  that  their  fetiches  were  good  for  nothing.  And  when  I 
then  told  them  that  Nzambi  Mpungu,  who  made  all  things, 
alone  has  power  to  help  and  save,  they  said,  *  It  is  true.'  In 
the  evening  a  little  congregation  gathered  around  my  tent. 
They  listened  attentively  and  asked  many  intelligent  ques- 
tions, although  a  leopard  was  bellowing  in  the  bush  near  by 
and  they  stood  with  their  guns  read}'  ;  but  this  did  not  de- 
tract from  their  attention.  They  said  they  would  like  us  to 
come  and  teach  them  about  God.  Soon  after  the  king 
brought  me  a  large  bunch  of  plantains  and  two  chickens,  and 
he  made  a  little  speech,  the  substance  of  which  was  that  he 
was  glad  I  had  come  to  build  in  his  country  ;  that  he  was  the 
big  king  and  would  give  me  land  on  which  to  build." 

Brother  Rasmussen  at  last  gave  his  life  in  the  attempt  to 
build  this  station.  He  was  followed,  a  year  after  his  death, 
by  Brother  Jensen,  who  succeeded  in  erecting  a  comfortable 
grass  house,  cook  house,  goat  and  chicken  house.  Just  as 
they  were  rejoicing  over  months  of  labor  crowned  with  vic- 
tory, a  grass  fire  swept  over  the  place  and  laid  all  the  work 
in  ashes.  This  brought  on  weeks  of  illness,  and  at  last  he 
was  invalided  home,  where  his  good  wife  died.  Isangila 
Station  was  self-supporting  for  nearly  three  )-ears,  or  until 
the  State  refused  to  pay  their  carriers  in  silver. 

It  is  to  be  deeply  regretted  that  the  reports  of  the  noble 
lives  of  Brothers  Bradley  L.  Burr  and  Dr.  Harrison,  who  spent 
seven  years  at  Kimpoko,  on  Stanley  Pool,  are  too  meager  to 
give  much  information.  They  succeeded  in  making  self- 
support  and  in  erecting  comfortable  buildings  and  in  culti- 
vating the  ground.  Dr.  Harrison  did  a  great  deal  of  medical 
work,  especially  among  the  natives.  Brother  Burr  had  been 
appointed  presiding   elder  and   made  a  thorough  investiga- 


In  Darkest  Africa 


509 


tion  personally  of  all  the  stations  down  to  Vivi.  But  in  the 
midst  of  his  large  plans,  after  having  returned  to  Kimpoko, 
he  sickened  and  died.  Dr.  Harrison  was  relieved  by  Brother 
Snape,  and  started  home,  only  to  die  in  London.  The  Rev. 
William  O.  White  was  appointed  presiding  elder  in  Brother 
]?urr's  place.  He  spent  his  first  five  \'cars  on  the  Congo  with 
only  two  fevers.  Desirous  of  a  rest  he  then  spent  a  year  in 
the  United  States.  When  he  returned  it  was  but  a  week  or 
two  after  the  sudden  deaths  of  Brothers  Walrath  and  Pixley, 
and  he  took  charge  of  Vivi  Station.  On  the  arrival  of  Brother 
Jensen  and  wife  he  took  the  steamer  Anne  Taylor  using 
her  to  financial  advantage  for  the  mission. 

There  were  many  well-authenticated  cases  of  conversion 
in  our  missions,  and  some  of  the  boys  went  back  from  the 
schools  to  their  towns  to  live  out  the  religion  they  learned, 
while  others  died  in  the  faith.  Only  the  last  day  shall  re- 
veal how  great  a  harvest  will  be  reaped  from  the  patient 
sowing  of  these  faithful  ones  who  suffered  unto  death. 


The  Landing  at  Banana  Beach 


510 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  XLVI 

Early  Days  of  the  Republic  of  Liberia 

S  I  shall  have  occasion  to  say  something 
of  Liberia  as  it  is  I  will  first  give  a  few 
glimpses  of  what  it  was  half  a  cen- 
tury ago.  Long  anterior  to  this,  Cap- 
tain Stockton,  of  the  United  States 
Navy,  to  prepare  for  the  coming  of  a  few 
score  of  emigrants  from  America,  had 
a  palaver  with  the  kings  and  chiefs  of 
the  tribes  claiming  to  own  Cape  Mesu- 
rado,  on  which  the  town  of  Monrovia  now  stands,  and  bought 
the  cape  for  the  colonists.  But  the  kings  and  chiefs  went 
back  on  their  bargain  and  took  possession  of  the  cape,  and 
on  the  arrival  of  the  newcomers  they  were  not  allowed  to 
set  foot  on  it  ;  so  they  landed  on  an  island  of  less  than  an 
acre  in  extent,  only  a  few  rods  from  the  mainland,  and 
within  range  of  the  deadly  missiles  of  their  enemies. 

The  King  of  Boporo,  who  had  been  to  sea  in  his  early  life, 
and  bore  the  name  of  King  Boatswain,  came  to  their  relief, 
and  threatened  to  throw  the  kings  and  chiefs  into  the  sea  if 
they  did  not  keep  their  contract  with  Captain  Stockton  and 
let  the  colonists  have  possession  of  the  land  he  had  bought. 
So  they  secured  possession  of  the  cape,  and  in  the  wilder- 
ness began  to  prepare  rude  homes  for  their  families. 

After  they  built  their  shanties  and  started  their  little  gar- 
dens the  tribes  near  them  came  in  great  force  to  destroy  the 
new  settlers  and  seize  all  their  stuff.  The  colonists  had  a 
few  guns,  a  limited  supply  of  ammunition,  and  one  cannon. 
They  could  muster  only  about  forty-five  men  for  the  de- 
fense of  their  new  home  against  thousands  of  their  ene- 
mies. Elijah  Johnson,  who  afterward  became  a  Methodist 
preacher,  was  one  of  the  defenders.     An  accomplished  presi- 


Q 


U- 


In  Darkest  Africa  513 

dent  of  the  Liberian  Republic,  who  served  his  second  term, 
was  a  son  of  Elijah  Johnson.  The  old  hero  fought  in  de- 
fense of  himself  and  his  fellow-colonists  uath  his  little  daugh- 
ter strapped  to  his  back  to  prevent  her  being  kidnapped  by 
the  savages.  That  daughter  afterward  became  the  wife  of 
Bishop  Roberts. 

The  overwhelming  forces  of  the  heathen  drove  the  forty 
heroes  from  their  defenses,  but  instead  of  pursuing  and  de- 
stro\-ing  them  the  natives  hunted  for  plunder,  and  gathered 
around  the  cannon  with  excited  curiosity.  Tradition  has  it 
that  an  old  woman  of  the  emigrant  party,  Elizabeth  New- 
bur}-port,  beckoned  the  natives  to  look  into  the  muzzle  of 
the  gun.  It  had  been  loaded,  but,  not  being  in  position  to 
be  of  service,  had  not  been  fired.  The  old  woman  got  a  long 
line  of  them  endeavoring  to  satisfy  their  curiosity,  and  then 
applied  a  live  coal  from  the  fire.  Off  went  the  big  gun,  the 
savages  hastily  retreated,  and  Liberia  was  saved. 

For  many  years  afterward  some  of  the  largest  slave  mar- 
kets of  Africa  were  located  on  what  is  now  the  Liberian 
coast,  with  their  incitement  to  tribal  wars,  night  attacks, 
burning  of  towns  and  killing  of  defenders  of  their  homes, 
and  seizing  as  slaves  the  women  and  children. 

George  S.  Brown,  who  was  sent  out  by  the  Missionary  So- 
ciety of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  founded  a  mission, 
which  he  named  Hedding,  after  Bishop  Hedding,  who  had 
ordained  him  to  the  ministry.  It  was  located  in  a  heathen 
town  five  hours'  walk  from  Monrovia.  He  preached  through 
interpreters,  and  about  two  hundred  heathen  professed  to 
receive  Christ.  They  burned  their  greegrees,  or  idols,  and 
those  who  were  polygamists  renounced  it  and  became  con- 
sistent Christians. 

Even  such  towns  could  not  be  exempt  from  slave  hun- 
ters. King  Boatswain,  the  friend  of  the  "Americans,"  as 
the  colonists  were  called,  had  died.  The  new  King  of 
Boporo,  Gotarah,  was  the  terror  of  all  the  native  tribes  of 
that   region  except  the  Vey,  his  confederates.     This  savage 

chief  boasted    that    he  would  eat   Brown  for  his  breakfast 
33 


514  The   Flaming  Torch 

some  morning,  and  called  upon  the  missionary  for  that  very 
purpose. 

Brown  gives  an  account  of  Gotarah's  attempt  to  eat  him 
on  the  morning  of  March  7,  1840.  About  four  o'clock  an 
old  native  woman  came  running  in  from  the  forest  crying, 
"  War  in  the  path  !  War  in  the  path!  "  King  Thon,  who 
lived  half  a  mile  from  the  mission,  turned  out  with  a  dozen 
men  for  the  defense  just  as  the  enemy  appeared  in  sight. 
They  paid  no  attention  to  his  hail,  but  rushed  on  toward  the 
house  where  the  missionary  was  still  in  bed.  The  defense 
consisted  of  two  Americans,  the  missionary,  two  native  men, 
and  a  few  boys,  and  one  hundred  rounds  of  cartridges  for 
the  muskets.  The  women  and  twenty-six  mission  cliildren 
were  stowed  on  the  floor  of  an  upper  room,  and  the  mission- 
ary loaded  the  guns  while  his  boys  passed  them  to  the  men 
who  were  firing  on  the  approaching  savages,  who  were  rid- 
dling the  house  with  bullets.  When  the  native  shooting 
from  the  upper  window  fell  wounded  Brown  took  his  posi- 
tion and  kept  up  a  rapid  fire.  The  enemy  halted  at  a  little 
picket  fence  that  surrounded  the  house,  but  when  the  old 
war  chief  Gotarah,  like  a  mammoth  leopard,  dashed  to  the 
front  with  a  shout  his  warriors  followed  him  to  within  two 
rods  of  the  open  door  where  two  men  stood  continuing  their 
defensive  fire.  King  Thon  had  kept  up  an  attack  on  the 
flank  of  the  enemy,  but  now  all  seemed  lost.  Brown  says  : 
"  It  was  an  awful  moment.  I  stood  at  the  window  and  saw 
in  the  rush,  as  I  fired,  vicn  Jiczving  doivn  each  other  as  if  a 
third  pccrty  zvas  in  the  fiehi.  Their  screams  were  terrific. 
Our  ammunition  was  nearly  all  gone  ;  Gotarah  attempted  to 
rush  through  the  door  and  fell  lifeless.  Some  of  his  body- 
guard slipped  their  slave  ropes  around  his  neck  and  hurried 
away  with  him."  After  the  battle  the  repulsed  savages  were 
permitted  to  carry  away  their  many  dead,  but  as  they  had 
more  than  they  could  manage  six  big  fellows,  measuring  six 
feet  four  inches,  were  left  behind.  For  twelve  miles  they 
left  a  track  of  blood  through  the  forest  from  the  open  veins 
of  the  wounded.     The  confusion  in  their  ranks  that  led  to 


In  Darkest  Africa 


515 


their  defeat  was  afterward  explained.  When  the  Christian  na- 
tive fell  at  the  upper  window  Missionary  Brown,  with  the  re- 
maining supply  of  gunpowder  and  some  buckshot,  ran  to  take 
his  place.  The  approaching  savages  could  not  see  the  two 
men  who  were  firing  from  the  open  doorway  ;  Brown's  scat- 
tering buckshot  was  doing  fearful  execution  at  such  short 
range,  and  as  he  had  been  awakened  from  sleep  by  the  early 
morning  attack,  as  he  stood  in  the  open  window  in  his  white 
night  robe  the  warriors  thought  it  was  a  woman  ;  and  their 
heathen  superstition  attributing  the  havoc  among  them  to 
witchcraft,  in  their  fright  and  desperation  they  fell  upon  one 
another  with  a  dreadful  slauglitcr. 

These  incidents  illustrate  the  perils  to  Church  and  State 
on  the  Liberian  coast  fifty  years  ago,  and  the  altered  and 
peaceful  conditions  under  which  I  opened  twenty  mission 
stations  among  as  many  heathen  nations  on  the  same  coast. 


p'-i??^ 


Natives  on  a  Journe_v 


516 


The  Flaming  Torch 


.4 


'-  M 


V 


CHAPTER  XLVII 

Heathen  Tribes  on  the  Cavalla 

VEN  in  a  tropical  storm  the  Cavalia  River 
is  beautiful,  nearly  as  large  as  the  Hud- 
son, flowing  between  high  banks  through 
the  midst  of  a  hilly  country  of  great 
fertilit}-,  and  finding  its  home  in  the  At- 
lantic Ocean  at  eighteen  miles  southeast 
of  Cape  Palmas. 

The  kings  of  a  number  of  tribes  occu- 
pying territories  adjacent  to  this  beauti- 
ful river  had  heard  through  a  trader  at 
Cape  Palmas  of  the  object  of  my  ap- 
proaching visit  to  that  coast,  and  desired 
that  we  should  "  make  mission  "  for  their 
people.  Just  prior  to  my  arrival  on  the  coast  a  war  scare 
loomed  up  wnth  such  magnitude  that  it  was  thought  that 
we  were  shut  off  from  an  advance  in  that  direction. 
Twelve  years  before,  the  Grebos  drew  twenty-seven  other 
tribes  into  a  combination  that  purposed  a  war  of  extermi- 
nation on  the  Americo-Liberians.  After  seventeen  battles 
the  war  tribes  came  to  terms  of  peace,  which  were  now 
broken  by  the  open  rebellion  of  the  Half  Cavalla  tribe  and 
its  confederates.  There  was  high  excitement  on  the  coast 
and  almost  a  panic  at  Cape  Palmas.  The  Episcopal  minister 
stationed  at  Half  Cavalla,  with  the  pupils  of  his  school  and 
many  of  the  members  of  the  mission  escaped  for  their  lives 
under  cover  of  night. 

I  was  not  to  blame  for  the  war  cloud,  but  responsible  to 
my  King  for  the  delivery  of  his  message  to  this  people,  and 
although  it  involved  the  crossing  of  a  dangerous  bar  at  the 
Cavalla  mouth  and  eight)-  miles'  voyage  up  the  river 
throucrh    the    disturbed    district.    T    determined    to    go     in. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


517 


Early  on  Monday  morning;'  we  embarked  in  a  surf  boat 
manned  by  seven  Kroomen.  Our  passenger  list  was  made 
up  of  our  friend  the  trader,  J.  S.  Pratt;  the  famous 
evangelist, Amanda  Smitli;  her  companion,  Sister  Fletcher; 
my  two  interpreters,  Tom  Nimly  and  Saco,  and  myself. 
Tom  was  a  man  of  almost  gigantic  proportions,  standing  six 
feet  four  inches,  had  good  natural  abilit>-,  and  could  read  a 
little  in   the    New    Testament.      He  had  been  converted   to 


Ma-Shupia  Woman   (Drawn  by  Dr.   Holub) 

God  under  my  preaching  at  Monrovia,  and  at  baptism  re- 
ceived the  Christian  name  of  African  us.  Saco  was  a  youth 
of  about  eighteen,  possessed  of  a  little  English  education. 
The  brave  captain  of  our  little  craft  was  a  powerful  Kroo- 
man  of  long  experience  and  quiet,  even  temper. 

The  bar  at  Cavalla  mouth  is  always  a  place  of  danger, 
and  more  especially  so  when  there  is  a  high  sea  running 
We  reached  it  a  little  before  sunset.  As  we  gazed  upon  it 
on  our  approach  its  turbulent  waters  made  us  think  it  im- 
possible for  us  to  get  over  it,  but  probable  that  we  would 
2[et  under  its   fearful   surf.     Amanda  could  not  bear  to  see 


518  The  Flaming  Torch 

the  clash  of  the  recoil  of  the  river  current  and  the  swell  of 
the  great  Atlantic,  and,  covering  her  face  with  her  hands, 
cried,  "  O  Lord,  deliver  us."  All  who  know  her  have  faith  in 
her  prayers,  and  they  helped  us  to  make  the  attempt.  Af- 
ricanus  sprang  to  his  feet  as  we  entered  the  angry  flood, 
and  displacing  one  of  the  ordinary  sailors  took  the  oar  in 
his  powerful  hands.  Urged  on  by  the  shouts  of  our  captain 
every  muscle  was  strained  in  this  pull  for  life,  but  before 
we  had  passed  halfway  through  the  breakers  we  had  to 
■*  'bout  ship  "  and  pull  for  the  open  sea  to  avoid  being  ut- 
terly swamped.  We  bailed  out  the  water  and  made  a 
second  attempt,  only  to  be  driven  back  by  the  fury  of  the 
waves.  The  captain  never  for  a  moment  flinched,  and  the 
face  of  Africanus  glowed  with  determined  hope,  while  every 
man  stood  bravely  at  his  post.  Again  we  made  the  charge, 
and  after  the  heroic  effort  we  shot  beyond  the  breakers  into 
the  calm  waters  of  the  river.  The  undaunted  pluck  and 
pull  of  our  Kroo  boys  brought  tears  to  my  eyes. 

We  made  a  landing  near  the  Dutch  trading  house,  where 
vve  rested  for  the  night.  Placing  my  portable  bed  on  an 
open  veranda  facing  the  sea,  I  slept  in  its  refreshing 
breezes.  Early  the  following  morning  we  again  embarked, 
and  after  a  heavy  pull  against  the  current  for  eight  hours 
and  a  half  we  camped  for  the  night  at  a  native  village 
called  Baraboo.  Here  we  were  kindly  received  by  the  peo- 
ple, who  had  learned  of  our  purpose,  and  desired  that  we 
should  also  open  a  mission  for  them.  I  was  gazed  upon  by 
a  crowd  of  women  and  children  until  I  gave  them  to  under- 
stand that  I  desired  to  retire  for  my  night's  rest.  I  had 
scarcely  fallen  asleep  in  the  rude  quarters  that  had  been 
provided,  when  I  was  awakened  by  a  great  commotion  and 
an  invitation  to  come  and  partake  of  a  feast  that  had  been 
prepared  in  my  honor.  I  respectfully  declined  the  invita- 
tion, which,  however,  was  accepted  by  the  other  members 
of  our  party.  We  took  our  departure  early  on  Wednesday 
morning,  and  our  brave  boys  pulled  against  the  stream  all 
day.     About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  a  small  cloud  ap- 


In  Darkest  Africa  519 

peared  in  the  west,  which  caused  little  alarm  to  us  who 
were  not  accustomed  to  the  storms  of  that  coast,  but  I  saw 
a  look  of  anxiety  on  the  laces  of  our  black  friends.  In  a 
few  moments  the  small  cloud  had  darkened  the  whole  sky, 
from  which  the  lurid  lightnings  flashed  and  the  thunders 
roared,  and  the  rain  descended  in  torrents  upon  us  in  our 
open  boat.  Like  all  tropical  storms,  it  was  short-lived,  and 
once  more  we  rowed  under  blue  skies  and  bright  sunshine. 
At  sunset  we  disembarked  at  the  town  of  Eubloky,  where 


Ma-Rutse  Man   (Drawn  by  Dr.    Holub) 

we  were  to  tarry  for  the  night.  The  people  received  us 
with  characteristic  hospitality,  and  soon  had  an  excellent 
dinner  prepared  of  boiled  rice,  palm  butter,  fish,  and  veni- 
son steak.  As  usual  I  slept  in  the  open  air,  and  we  had  a 
peaceful  night's  rest.  But  we  found  that  we  could  not  take 
our  departure  in  the  morning  because  of  the  earnest  desire 
of  the  people  that  we  should  enter  into  an  agreement  to 
send  them  a  missionary.  The  king  called  an  assembly  of 
the  chiefs  and  people,  and  a  very  enthusiastic  assembly  it 
was.  They  required  no  persuasion,  but  entered  readily  into 
an  agreement  for  the  opening  of  an  industrial  school,  where 


520  The  Flaming  Torch 

all  comers  were  to  have  "  book  and  plenty  of  hard  work 
and  God-palaver."  The  mark  of  the  khig  and  his  chiefs 
was  attached  to  the  articles  I  had  drawn  up,  and  we  all 
went  forth  to  select  lands  for  the  mission  farm.  As  we  had 
no  missionaries  to  leave  at  this  time,  and  in  fact  were  only 
on  a  tour  of  exploration  and  selection  of  suitable  centers  for 
missionary  operations,  I  appointed  the  king  of  the  tribe  to 
take  charge  of  the  farm  lands,  which  he  was  to  clear  and 
prepare,  and  bring  materials  to  the  site  selected  for  a  mis- 
sion house  ;  it  was  thus  that  the  heathen  king  of  the  Eu- 
blokies  became  my  first  industrial  missionary  on  the  Cavalla. 
On  the  afternoon  of  Thursday  we  arrived  at  Tataka 
Tabo,  eighty  miles  inland,  our  objective  point  when  we  left 
Cape  Palmas,  The  last  town  we  passed  before  our  arrival 
here  was  Yahkey,  where  people  hailed  us  with  the  usual 
questions  put  to  strangers:  "Who  are  }^ou  ? "  "Where 
did  you  come  from  ?''  "  Where  are  you  going?  "  "  What 
are  you  going  there  for?"  When  such  questions  come 
from  the  ruling  authorities  of  the  town  the  only  thing  to  be 
I  done  is  to  stop  and  answer  them,  and  it  is  important  to 
give  them  an  unequivocal  reply.  We  were  not  permitted 
to  pass  until  we  had  promised  to  return  and  establish  a 
mission  among  them.  There  was  a  grand  demonstration 
when  we  arrived  at  Tataka.  As  soon  as  the  king  had 
learned  who  we  were  we  were  promptly  permitted  to  land, 
when  he  shouted  and  danced  for  joy.  At  his  order  a  com- 
pany of  black  soldiers  marched  forward  and  saluted  us  with 
four  or  five  rounds  of  musketry,  and  immediately  the  whole 
town  assembled  to  welcome  the  God-man.  The  recep- 
tion was  royal  in  its  heartiness,  the  king  declaring  through 
our  interpreter  that  we  must  "sit  down  till  next  day."  So 
we  promised  to  remain  over  Frida)',  and  in  the  afternoon 
we  had  our  big  "  palaver"  and  selected  a  beautiful  location 
for  our  mission,  upon  high  ground,  in  full  view  of  the  town, 
but  over  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant.  We  attempted  a 
preaching  service  at  Tataka,  but  our  interpreters  were  not 
sufficiently  acquainted  with  the  language   of  the   people  to 


In  Darkest  Africa  521 

make  much  progress,  and  even  although  they  finally  re- 
sorted to  Kroo  English  our  ideas  were  not  presented  witii 
the  clearness  requisite  to  an  intelligent  understanding  of 
the  message  of  salvation.  The  people  were  evidently 
anxious  to  know  something  about  the  God-man's  religion, 
and  later,  when  the  missionaries  told  them  the  story  of  the 
cross  in  their  own  language,  many  of  them  were  led  to  the 
Saviour. 

Saturda}'  afternoon  we  embarked  for  Gerribo,  but  had  to 
pass  the  town  of  Beaboo  on  the  wa}%  and  were  not  permitted 
to  do  so  until  we  had  given  them  a  pledge  to  open  a  mis- 
sion there  also.  At  sunset  we  were  welcomed  at  Gerribo 
by  the  king  of  the  tribe,  who  led  a  demonstration  of  wel- 
come. The  next  day  being  the  Sabbath,  we  arranged  for  a 
general  preaching  service.  The  text  of  the  morning  was  in 
harmony  with  their  universal  belief  in  the  God  who  made 
the  heavens  and  the  earth,  "All  things  were  made  by  him, 
and  without  him  was  not  anything  made  that  was  made." 
The  word  was  passed  in  Kroo  English,  w'hich  limited  the 
number  of  intelligent  hearers,  and  on  that  account  we  ar- 
ranged that  the  captain  of  the  boat,  who,  I  discovered,  was 
acquainted  with  their  language,  should  be  my  interpreter 
for  the  evening.  At  the  close  of  the  preaching  Africanus 
seemed  to  get  the  mastery  of  the  language  and  told  his  ex- 
perience, earnestly  exhorting  the  people  to  turn  to  God. 
Then  Saco  told  his  experience  and  Amanda  Smith  talked 
in  her  wonderful  way,  Africanus  interpreting.  This  was 
followed  by  a  talk  from  the  king  and  two  chiefs,  who  talked 
calmly  and  sensibly.  The  substance  of  what  they  said  was 
that  they  were  ready  to  give  up  their  greegrees  and  devil 
worship,  and  turn  to  God  as  soon  as  they  could  get  light 
enough  to  see  which  way  to  go.  At  this  Amanda  became 
very  jubilant,  singing  and  shaking  hands  with  all  in  the 
house.  So  ended  ^  the  first  religious  meeting  ever  held 
among  the  people  of  the  Gerribo  tribe. 

Each  town  in  which  we  founded  a  mission  on  the  Cavalla 
River    represented   a   different   tribe,  and   some  of  them  at 


522  The  Flaming  Torch 

war  with  each  other.  They  had  severally  fought  their  way 
to  the  waterside  in  order  that  they  might  have  canoe  access 
to  the  sea,  but  the  principal  towns  and  the  great  body  of 
their  people  are  in  the  interior.  The  big  town  of  the  king 
of  the  Gerribo  tribe  was  about  twelve  miles  distant.  The 
king  sent  messengers  inviting  us  to  visit  him,  and  a  dozen 
carriers  to  take  us  to  the  great  place.  They  wanted  to 
carry  me,  but  as  it  is  my  custom  to  walk  when  in  Africa  I 
respectfully  declined  the  honor  of  being  "  toted "  on  the 
shoulders  of  men.  Journeying  westward  behind  a  range  of 
mountains,  we  thrice  crossed  a  small  river  in  canoes,  and 
waded  several  mountain  streams  of  clear,  cold  water.  Our 
path  led  us  through  two  towns,  at  the  first  of  which  w^e 
rested  and  partook  of  an  excellent  dinner  which  the  people 
quickly  prepared  for  us.  As  we  entered  the  second  town 
we  escaped  a  heavy  shower  of  rain  by  taking  refuge  in  some 
native  huts,  but  when  we  resumed  our  journey  the  bushes 
bending  over  our  path  were  dripping  with  water,  and 
Amanda  said  we  might  as  well  have  stayed  out  in  the  rain. 
We  passed  through  large  rice  fields,  where  the  young  grow- 
ing crop  was  being  cultivated  by  women  in  native  heathen 
dress,  who  fled  like  wild  deer  at  our  approach.  When 
about  half  a  mile  from  the  big  town  our  ears  were  saluted 
by  the  booming  of  a  big  drum  that  announced  the  arrival 
of  strangers.  Upon  drawing  near  we  found  the  town  sur- 
rounded by  a  stockade  constructed  of  saplings  driven  into 
the  ground  close  together  and  lashed  with  vines.  We  were 
conducted  by  our  guides  to  the  secret  opening  that  gave 
entrance  to  the  circular  inclosure  in  which  were  the  huts  of 
which  the  town  consisted.  We  were  received  in  great  state 
by  the  king  and  chiefs  and  assigned  to  temporary  quarters 
in  native  huts.  This  big  town  was  the  residence  of  the  king, 
who  ruled  twenty-seven  other  tow'ns,  and  became  the  center 
for  our  missionary  operations  among  them.  The  missionary 
I  appointed  (Rev.  William  S.  Miller)  preached  regularly  in 
twenty-three  of  these  towns,  and  for  two  years  carried  on 
extensive  and  successful  missionary  operations. 


Natives  of  the  West  Coast 


In  Darkest  Africa  «       525 

The  missionary  I  scr.t  to  take  charge  of  the  heathen  king, 
chiefs,  and  people  at  Tataka  Tabo  was  a  little  Canadian  girl 
who  had  volunteered  for  any  service  that  might  be  assigned 
to  her,  and  although  short  in  stature  she  measured  up  grand- 
ly to  the  difficulties  of  her  wild  surroundings.  She  had  to 
deal  with  wild  animals  and  wilder  men,  but  was  always 
equal  to  every  trying  occasion.  A  great  council  was  called 
to  pass  a  law  forbidding  her  to  employ  as  carriers  other 
tribesmen.  This  involved  inconvenience,  if  not  impossibil- 
ity, as  supplies  must  of  necessity  come  from  Cape  Palmas 
through  tribes  at  war  with  this  one.  According  to  the  cus- 
tom prevailing  in  such  cases  a  law  could  not  be  passed 
without  giving  opportunity  for  all  concerned  to  be  heard  in 
the  council.  African  etiquette  required  that  no  one  partici- 
pating in  the  debate  could  speak  a  second  time  until  all 
had  spoken.  The  golden-haired  little  girl  who  sat  alone 
amid  the  dark-skinned  warriors  was  more  than  a  match  for 
the  eloquence  \\ith  which  each  presented  his  argument  for 
the  passage  of  the  law.  When  all  had  spokeii,  and  it  was 
her  turn,  she  said  simply  :  "  King  Mahara,  have  all  spoken 
what  is  in  their  hearts  ?  Then  I  have  nothing  to  say  on 
this  occasion."  The}'  could  not  speak  again,  she  would 
not,  and  the  palaver  was  thus  brought  to  a  close. 

Miss  Whitfield  \\as  quite  as  successful  in  managing  wild 
beasts,  which  she  met  with  measures  as  unique  as  the  one 
employed  in  the  council.  She  was  annoyed  by  the  depre- 
dations of  an  old  leopard,  which  attacked  the  domestic  ani- 
mals on  the  farm  and  even  presumed  to  help  himself  in  her 
poultr\'  house.  There  were  many  leopards  in  the  forest, 
but  none  so  bold  as  this  old  fellow.  One  dark  night  she 
heard  him  capturing  her  hens,  and  calling  her  famih'  of 
adopted  native  children  together  she  supplied  each  with  a 
pine  torch,  and  leading  the  charge  in  person  rushed  out  at 
the  leopard  in  the  darkness.  The  animal  was  so  badly 
frightened  at  this  onslaught  that  he  made  a  precipitous  re- 
treat for  the  forest,  and  never  returned. 


526 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  XLVIII 

Advance  up  the  Since  River 

iHE  steamer  RoqucZ/i"  changed  her  course 
and  anchored  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Since  River,  as  we  had  some  precious 
freight  to  land  in  the  form  of  some 
high-bred,  registered  English  roan 
short-horned  cattle.  We  wanted  to 
supply  our  mission  farms  with  some 
good  cattle  for  milk  and  meat,  and 
oxen  for  plowing,  as  we  had  already 
done  in  Angola.  Liberian  cattle  are 
ver}'  small— beef  done  up  in  small  parcels.  For  the  great 
benefit  I  hoped  this  would  be  to  the  material  prosperity 
of  our  missions,  I  personally  took  all  the  risks  of  the  ex- 
periment. The  expense  was  not  small,  as,  additional  to  the 
first  cost,  I  had  to  provide  stalls  on  shipboard,  and  on  ac- 
count of  the  peril  of  landing  them  in  the  heavy  surf  of  the 
Kroo  coast  I  provided  an  iron  lifeboat,  28x8,  and  a  com- 
plete outfit  for  opening  amission  station  on  the  Since  River. 
Soon  after  the  Roqiiclle  swung  around  at  her  anchorage  I  set 
off  for  shore  in  the  ship's' boat  accompanied  by  the  third 
mate.  At  that  moment  a  boat  was  crossing  the  bar  outward 
bearing  a  peculiar-looking  flag.  Captain  Healy  shouted  from 
the  ship's  bridge,  "That  looks  like  the  Russian  flag."  As 
we  neared  the  boat  bearing  the  strange  flag  we  recognized 
our  agent,  J.  S.  Pratt,  wuth  his  boat  and  crew  from  Cape 
Palmas.  He  had  run  up  a  mission  flag  bearing  these  letters, 
"  S.  S.  M.  of  Bishop  William  Taylor  of  the  M.  E.  C."  He 
soon  provided  eight  men  to  man  the  lifeboat,  and  the  work 
of  disembarking  the  cattle  commenced.  By  the  aid  of  the 
steam  jimmie  they  were  lifted  out  of  the  hold  and  carefully 
lowered  overboard  to  the  level  floor  I  had  provided  in  the 


In  Darkest  Africa 


527 


lifeboat,  and  they  were  soon  safely  landed  on  the  African 
shore. 

In  the  early  morning,  accompanied  by  two  missionaries 
and  a  Christian  merchant,  I  sailed  up  the  Sinoe  Riv^er  to 
select  a  suitable  location  for  our  cattle  mission  station.  The 
Sinoe  is  a  beautiful,  placid  stream,  nearly  as  large  as  the 
Hudson.  We  continued  our  journey  twenty  miles  up  the 
stream,  spending  an  hour  or  tw^o  at  a  native  town  on  the 
east  bank.  As  usual  at  this  season  the  chief  and  principal 
men  were  away  at  work  on   their  farms,  remote  from   their 


Mission  House 


village.  Fleet-footed  messengers  went  to  inform  them  that 
God-men  had  come  to  see  them.  Meanwhile  the  missionary 
who  had  charge  of  the  cattle  examined  the  locality,  and 
satisfied  himself  that  the  tall,  dense  forests  of  that  region 
did  not  admit  sufficient  sunlight  and  circulation  of  air  for 
the  good  health  of  our  valuable  animals;  so  we  came  away 
without  seeing  the  chief.  As  we  returned  past  this  town  a 
large  company  of  natives  were  assembled  on  the  river  bank, 
and  when  our  boat  was  about  opposite  to  where  they  stood 
they  became  frantic  in  their  endeavors  to  attract  our  atten- 
tion, waving  palm  branches,  leaping  into  the  air,  and  shout- 
ing for  us  to  draw  nigh.  As  our  boat  continued  down  stream 
and  was  almost  beyond   the  sound  of   their  voices,  a  wail 


528  The  Flaming  Torch 

of  sorrow  came  up  from  those  darkened  hearts  that  still 
echoes  in  my  own.  O,  my  soul !  what  a  pitiable  sight ! 
These  people  had  been  waiting  through  the  centuries  for  the 
coming  of  most  needed  help,  and  a  ray  of  hope  had  flitted 
across  the  disk  of  their  dim  vision,  and  suddenly  went  out, 
leaving  them  in  the  darkness. 

We  pulled  for  Jacktown,  which  is  located  on  the  east  bank, 
about  five  miles  below  the  falls,  and  belongs  to  the  Jeppo 
tribe,  ruled  by  King  Tyneyo.  An  exploration  of  the  region 
round  about  resulted  in  finding  plenty  of  grass,  water,  clear 
country,  sunshine,  and  fresh  breezes,  so  we  concluded  that  this 
was  the  right  spot  for  our  central  herd  of  cattle,  from  which  to 
supply  our  stations  far  and  near.  Jacktown  is  the  Liverpool 
of  the  tribe,  of  which  there  are  many  villages  within  a  radius 
of  a  few  miles.  The  king,  chiefs,  and  headmen  were  away 
in  the  fields  at  work  putting  in  the  rice  crops.  When  we 
returned  to  the  town  after  our  explorations,  and  expressed 
our  purpose  of  founding  a  mission  there,  the  people  became 
wild  with  delight.  Not  satisfied  with  sending  messengers 
to  call  the  high  officials,  they  beat  two  big  war  drums  that 
aroused  the  country. 

While  waiting  for  the  heathen  potentates  I  took  photo- 
graphs of  men,  women,  and  children  and  other  objects  of 
interest.  The  first  chief  that  put  in  an  appearance  was  fan- 
tastically adorned  with  creeping  vines,  with  leaves  and 
flowers  suspended  from  his  neck  and  shoulders  fore  and  aft, 
and  musket  in  hand.  He  leaped  and  danced,  dropped  on 
one  knee,  threw  his  gun  up  and  caught  it  as  it  came  down, 
and  then  ran  wildly  about  the  town.  Afterward  he  went 
into  his  house  to  prepare  himself  for  presentation  to  the 
God-man.  He  came  forth  to  shake  hands,  with  the  hollow 
of  his  eyes  and  his  cheeks  painted  blue,  wearing  an  indescrib- 
able headdress,  from  under  the  front  of  which  appeared  a 
live  bird,  larger  than  a  swallow,  of  glossy  blue  and  green 
colors.  Its  shining  wings  spread  over  the  temples  of  the 
chief,  while  its  neck,  head,  and  open  mouth  rested  on  his 
forehead.      Many   ladies   in   civilized  life  delight   to   adorn 


In  Darkest  Africa 


529 


themselves  with  the  bright  plumage  of  dead  birds  ;  but  this 
wild  son  of  the  forest  was  crowned  with  a  full  display  of  the 
glossy  feathers  of  a  living  bird  in  all  its  beautiful  symmetry, 
and  without  indication  of  fear  or  discomfort.     I  took  a  near 


Group  of  Boys 

photographic  view  of  this  chief  and  his  bird,  also  of  the  king 
and  a  group  of  others  in  the  palaver. 

They  soon  returned  answer  from  the  council  house  that 
they  would  do  whatever  we  wished  in  assisting  to  establish 
a  mission,  and  we  returned  to  the  coast.     Early  on   the   fol- 
lowing Monday  morning  three  of  the  cattle  were  lowered 
34 


530  The  Flaming  Torch 

into  a  boat  by  means  of  a  derrick,  and  they  were  started  up 
the  river  in  care  of  Missionary  Wright.  How  they  were  to 
be  lifted  out  of  the  boat  on  arrival  at  the  heathen  town  we 
did  not  know.  I  made  inquiry  of  the  missionary  on  his  re- 
turn. He  said  that  as  soon  as  the  boat  reached  its  destina- 
tion they  leaped  out  on  the  bank  like  dogs,  and  then  ran 
into  the  river  for  a  bath.  When  Wright  arrived  at  Jacktown 
the  king  danced,  the  people  shouted  and  ran  to  and  fro,  the 
soldiers  fired  many  rounds  of  musketry — a  God-man  had  come 
to  live  with  them.  They  had  not  believed  he  would  come 
till  they  saw  the  cattle.  They  promptly  went  to  work  on 
the  following  morning  and  quickly  constructed  a  native  house 
as  a  temporary  habitation  for  the  missionary. 

After  commencing  work  on  the  Sinoe  River  we  prepared 
for  the  extension  of  a  line  of  missions  on  the  Kroo  Coast, 
which  extends  from  Cape  Palmas  to  Sinoe,  a  coast  line  of 
about  one  hundred  miles.  There  is  also  a  large  Kroo  town 
at  Monrovia,  three  hundred  miles  to  the  north,  and  another 
at  Sierra  Leone,  as  many  miles  beyond.  They  represent 
many  powerful  tribes  far  in  the  interior  in  regions  unexplored 
by  white  men.  Enterprising  colonists  from  those  nations 
have  fought  their  way  to  the  waterside  and  conquered  a 
sufficiency  of  the  Atlantic  coast  to  give  them  subsistence 
from  the  soil  and  easy  access  to  the  sea,  where  they  are  em- 
ployed on  the  coast  steamers.  With  slight  dialectic  differ- 
ences they  all  speak  the  same  language,  and  all  bear  the  same 
national  mark — a  very  black  line  nearly  an  inch  wide  extend- 
ing up  through  the  center  of  the  forehead  from  its  base  at 
the  nose  and  often  extending  down  the  ridge  of  the  nose. 
It  is  a  distinguishing  mark  of  their  nationality,  and  is  pro- 
duced by  pricking  in  an  indelible  dye  in  their  childhood. 
It  is  the  boast  of  the  Kroomen  that  through  the  genera- 
tions they  never  bought  or  sold  a  man,  and  not  one  of  them 
has  ever  been  enslaved  or  sold.  Of  the  crime  of  men-steal- 
ing their  hands  are  clean,  and  their  backs,  always  open  for 
inspection,  show  no  scar  of  the  slave  driver's  lash.  Refusing 
complicity  with  the  crime  of  slavery,  they  have  escaped  its 


Q^ 


In  Darkest  Africa  533 

curse.  Physically,  men  and  women  alike,  they  are  a  power- 
ful people.  On  arrival  at  one  of  our  new  locations  on  the 
coast,  among  other  articles  of  outfit  was  a  bundle  of  knocked- 
down  chairs,  weighing  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds,  which 
a  Kroo  woman  carried  on  her  head  without  stopping  to  rest 
a  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile  uphill  to  the  mission  house. 
I  was  present  when  she  laid  it  down,  and  she  showed  no  sign 
of  fatigue. 

So  many  generations  of  this  tribe  have  been  employed  on 
the  steamships  that  a  dialect  called  Kroo  English  has  become 
the  commercial  language  of  the  coast.  As  it  is  generally 
spoken  by  all  connected  with  the  ships  little  progress  is 
made  in  teaching  them  pure  English.  As  an  illustration  of 
this  dialect  I  here  present  their  version  of  John  iii,  1-17  : 

1.  There  be  one  man  he  naine  Nicodemus.  He  be  one 
big  headman  for  Jew  people. 

2.  Dat  same  man  he  come  for  Jesus  for  nighttime.  He 
say,  Dat  be  one  true  ting  you  come  from  God.  Dem  tings 
)-ou  live  for  do  God  helpee  you  for  true. 

3.  Jesus  he  say  to  Nicodemus,  Dat  be  true  ting  I  say. 
Posee  man  not  be  borned  again  some  more,  he  not  see  God 
he  country. 

4.  Nicodemus  he  say.  How  dat  man  be  borned  some  more 
when  he  be  old?  he  live  for  to  be  pickaninny  some  more? 

5.  Jesus  say,  Dat  ting  I  say  be  true.  Posee  man  he  not  be 
born  for  water  and  for  the  Spirit,  he  not  see  God  he  kingdom. 

6.  Dat  ting  he  be  born  for  meat  he  be  meat.  Dat  ting  he 
be  born  for  Spirit  he  be  spirit. 

7.  Dat  be  true  ting,  You  must  be  born  some  more  again. 

8.  D.it  wind  he  live  to  blow  so-so.  He  make  noise  plenty. 
Where  he  come  you  no  tell.  Where  he  go  you  no  tell. 
Posee  man  he  be  born  for  the  Spirit  so  he  do. 

9.  Nicodemus  he  say,  I  know  not  how  dat  ting  be. 

10.  Jesus  say,  You  be  headman  for  all  them  Jew  people, 
you  do  not  know  all  dem  tings? 

11.  Jesus  say,  For  true  true,  we  talk  what  we  know,  and  we 
say  dem  tings  we  done  seen  ;  how  you  no  hear  us? 


534  The  Flaming  Torch 

12.  Posee  I  live  for  talk  country,  you  no  hear  me,  how 
you  hear  me  I  live  for  talk  God-palaver? 

13.  No  country  man  done  go  up  for  heaven,  only  God  he 
Son.     He  done  come  down,  he  live  for  heaven. 

14.  So-so  Moses  he  done  lif  up  dat  snake.  So-so  the  Son 
for  God  be  done  lif  up. 

15.  So-be  man  he  believe  dat  Son  for  God.  He  done  live 
all  time.      He  no  can  die. 

16.  For  God  he  done  love  dat  world  too  much  plenty.  He 
done  give  he  only  Son  he  done  born.  So  be  all  dem  people 
believe  him.      Dey  no  die,  dey  live  so-so  all  time. 

17.  For  God  he  no  tell  him  Son  dat  world  wa-wa  [bad]. 
He  say  posee  you  live  for  go,  so  be  dat  world  live  and  no 
die. 

Having  decided  to  open  a  mission  station  on  this  coast,  I 
started  from  Cape  Palmas  in  a  surfboat  early  one  morning, 
but  when  the  shades  of  night  enveloped  us  we  had  not  gone 
more  than  three  or  four  miles  against  a  heavy  head  sea,  with 
very  little  wind  to  help  us.  The  captain  of  our  little  craft 
said  :  "  Shall  we  return  to  port,  or  beat  about  all  night  ?  " 
"No  surrender,  captain,"  I  replied;  "we  will  hold  on  to 
what  we  have,  and  trust  for  a  breeze  before  morning." 

The  early  part  of  the  night  was  beautiful,  radiant  with  the 
light  of  a  full  moon,  and  not  a  cloud  in  the  sk\'.  Before  the 
dawn  dense  clouds  suddenly  gathered  and  awful  thunder  and 
heavy  rain  quickly  followed,  but  the  storm  passed  around, 
and  we  soon  caught  a  good  breeze  that  helped  us  on  our 
course.  Just  at  the  dawn  of  day  a  heavy  sea  swept  over  our 
little  bark,  drenching  me  thoroughly  from  head  to  feet.  I 
sat  still  and  dried  my  clothes  by  the  heat  of  my  body,  suf- 
fering no  inconvenience  except  a  little  discomfort.  Garra- 
way  has  a  beautiful  harbor,  but  to  enter  it  we  had  to  pass 
through  the  roaring  surf  of  the  river  bar,  which  would  have 
been  impossible  for  a  craft  larger  than  a  surfboat.  Islands 
of  ironstone  in  the  rear,  cliffs  of  rocks  to  the  right,  great 
water-washed  rocks  to  the  left  and  in  front,  shut  in  this 
peaceful  haven. 


In  Darkest  Africa  535 

We  made  our  way  to  the  palace  of  the  king,  a  building 
about  fifteen  feet  square  with  rustic  native  adornments, 
where  his  majesty  received  us  kindly.  After  we  explained 
through  our  interpreter  the  object  of  our  visit  and  the  pecul- 
iar character  of  a  self-supporting  industrial  mission,  a  council 
was  called  for  the  morrow,  to  give  time  for  the  appearance 
of  chiefs  of  distant  villages.  Although  it  rained  steadily  and 
heavily  through  the  night  and  the  forenoon  of  the  next  day, 
at  the  mid-afternoon  set  for  the  big  palaver  about  thirty  head- 
men of  the  tribe  assembled.  Most  of  them  were  aged  men, 
of  immense  physical  proportions  and  venerable  appearance. 
After  a  free  discussion  they  all  consented  to  tiie  agreement, 
and  wanted  to  know  where  I  wished  to  locate  the  mission. 
"  On  that  big  hill  back  of  the  town,"  said  I.  There  was  a 
general  laugh  in  the  council,  and  the  king  said,  "That  is  the 
best  place  in  the  country,  but  how  did  you  find  it  out?" 
"  O,  I  went  yesterday  evening  and  looked  that  hill  all  over." 
"  That  is  just  the  place  we  meant  to  offer  you,  as  it  is  the  best 
we  have."  For  beauty  of  situation  and  fertilit}'  of  soil  this 
was  true.  Its  immense  Cottonwood  trees  constitute  a  land- 
mark far  out  at  sea,  and  from  our  veranda  we  have  a  lovely 
view  of  prairie  plains,  a  beautiful  little  lake  up  Garraway 
River,  and  a  wide  reach  of  Atlantic  swells  breaking  over  its 
many  little  islands  of  solid  rock. 


536 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  XLIX 

Kroo  Coast  Experiences 

ASSTOVVN  is  the  chief  village  of  a 
warlike  tribe  of  the  Kroo  nation, 
and  the  port  of  entry  for  its  in- 
terior towns.  Its  heathen  in- 
habitants had  become  a  terror  to 
the  small  craft  that  sailed  up  and 
down  the  coast,  on  account  of 
their  petty  piracy,  and  they  were 
constantly  at  war  with  their  near  neighbors,  the  Piquinine 
Sess  people.  There  was  seldom  a  pitched  battle,  but  they 
intercepted  and  massacred  small  parties,  or  pounced  upon 
women  at  work  in  the  fields  and  carried  them  away  into 
captivity. 

The  Kroos  are  a  powerful  people  physically,  and  for 
many  years  their  various  tribes  have  furnished  sailors  and 
stevedores  for  the  steamships  trading  with  West  and  South- 
west Africa,  and  laborers  for  the  "factories"  or  trading 
posts.  When  these  steamships  arrive  on  the  coast  of  Africa 
they  take  on  a  crew  of  from  sixty  to  a  hundred  black  men, 
who  approach  the  vessel  from  the  shore  in  canoes  when  sig- 
naled by  the  trade  flag.  Standing  on  the  deck  of  our  good 
ship,  the  instant  this  signal  was  given  an  intensely  interest- 
ing and  exciting  picture  was  presented  to  our  view  as  the 
light  canoes,  propelled  by  the  powerful  blacks,  shot  out  from 
the  distant  shore.  They  approached  in  fleets  from  different 
points,  representing  rival  towns,  each  brawny  Krooman 
bending  to  the  paddle,  inspired  by  the  helmsmen's  im- 
promptu song  of  past  victories,  all  joining  enthusiastically  in 
a  familiar  chorus.  The  tropical  sea,  lately  smooth  as  a  mir- 
ror, was  now  dashed  by  the  flying  paddles  into  clouds  of 
spray  that   at  times  hid  the   participants  from  view.     The 


In  Darkest  Africa  537 

wild  war  whoop  uttered  by  "  the  conquering  hero  "  as  he 
sprang  upon  the  deck  was  echoed  by  a  savage  yell  from  the 
canoes  now  surrounding  the  ship. 

Now  that  we  have  him  at  close  range  we  can  scrutinize 
the  representative  of  a  great  race.  We  are  facilitated  in 
taking  his  measure  by  the  fact  that  he  is  not  much  encum- 
bered by  clothing.  In  the  South  the  natives  affect  to  wear 
two  coats — a  coat  of  grease  and  one  of  yellow  ocher  ;  but 
on  the  West  Coast  they  are,  in  the  main,  content  with  a  coat 
of  grease.  It  will  be  remembered  that  we  are  now  speak- 
ing of  the  raw  heathen,  and  even  they  wear  some  clothing 
when  they  come  in  touch  with  the  outposts  of  civilization. 
This  lusty  Krooman,  like  his  fellows  who  are  now  following 
him  up  the  side  of  the  ship,  wears  a  loin  cloth  and  the  un- 
usual addition  of  a  superannuated  silk  hat.  The  hat  he  has 
carefully  covered  with  brown  paper  to  protect  it  from  the 
elements.  Erect,  broad-shouldered,  his  full  six  feet  of  stat- 
ure and  fine  muscular  development  denote  his  great  phys- 
ical strength  and  powers  of  endurance.  His  skin  is  glossy 
black  and  shines  like  polished  ebony  in  the  sunlight.  His 
hair  is  short  and  curly,  but  not  wooll}-,  and  his  large  bright 
e\-es  indicate  clearness  of  perception.  The  nose  is  aquiline, 
and  the  lips  large  but  not  protruding.  His  general  bearing 
is  so  princely  that  it  seems  a  little  odd  to  see  him  handling 
cargo  or  engaged  in  menial  work  on  deck.  When  they  are 
employed  in  the  factories  on  shore  they  are  paid  at  the  rate 
of  twenty-five  cents  a  day,  and  on  the  steamers  receive  half 
of  that  wage,  which  was  formerly  paid  to  them,  at  the  end 
of  a  two  or  three  months'  coast  voyage,  in  rum  and  gun- 
powder; but,  according  to  a  more  recent  ruling  in  trade 
regulations,  tlic\'  are  now  paid  in  currenc)'. 

Having  decided  to  respond  to  urgent  appeals  for  the  es- 
tablishment of  Christian  missions  on  the  Kroo  Coast,  some 
of  which  came  from  kings  and  chiefs  of  various  tribes,  I  left 
Cape  Palmas  in  an  open  surfboat,  accompanied  by  a  few 
missionary  recruits,  and,  after  a  pull  up  the  coast,  arrived 
at  Sasstown  without  more  serious  mishap  than  a  drenching 


538 


The  Flaming  Torch 


in  a  tropical  thunderstorm.  The  mode  of  disembarking, 
where  there  are  no  wharfs  or  landing  stages,  is  for  the 
natives  to  rush  out  into  the  water  as  the  boat  approaches, 
and,  taking  the  passengers  on  their  shoulders,  "  tote  "  them 
to  the  beach.  Our  first  business  was  to  present  ourselves  to 
the  king,  who  received  us  cordially  and  appointed  a  place 
of  lodgment  in  a  native  hut,  promising  to  call  a  "palaver" 
on  the  morrow  for  the  purpose  of  "making  mission."  True 
to  this  promise,  the  following  morning  we  found  king,  chiefs, 
and  counselors  in  solemn  assemblage  to  hear  our  proposals. 
Through  our  able  interpreters  I  communicated  to  them  our 

purpose  of  establishing 
one  or  more  mission  sta- 
tions in  their  country,  and 
outlined  the  cooperation 
we  would  expect  from 
them.  The  agreement  to 
be  made  required  that  they 
should  supply  us  with  all 
the  land  necessary,  clear 
away  the  brush,  cut  and 
carry  timbers  for  building 
purposes,  and  render  any 
other  general  assistance  required,  without  pay.  This  was 
commencing  on  the  basis  of  self-support  and  giving  them 
from  the  start  a  personal  interest  in  the  enterprise.  The 
usual  animated  discussion  on  such  occasions  was  aug- 
mented by  the  warlike  spirit  of  this  council,  and  although 
the  king  and  chief  councilors  were  favorable  to  us  the  con- 
tention became  so  strong  that  it  culminated  in  an  uproar. 
The  wild  )-ells  and  frantic  gesticulations  made  one  fancy 
himself  in  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  rather  than  in 
heathen  Africa.  So  great  was  the  confusion  that  the  king 
finally  adjourned  the  discussion  until  the  following  morning 
to  give  the  belligerent  spirits  time  to  cool  off.  The  second 
palaver  afforded  opportunity  for  dispassionate  considera- 
tion of  our  proposals,  which   were   unanimously  accepted, 


Camping  Under  a  Mimosa 


In  Darkest  Africa  539 

and  a  formal  agreement  made,  which  was  signed  by  king 
and  chiefs  by  a  cross,  and  attested  by  witnesses. 

As  I  intended  to  commence  work  here  at  once  and  spend 
several  weeks  in  opening  this  mission  station,  we  decided  upon 
the  immediate  construction  of  a  temporary  chapel,  pending 
the  arrival  from  Liverpool  of  material  for  an  iron  house. 
Although  the  rainy  season  was  approaching  we  hoped  for 
sufficient  time  to  complete  an  adobe  building.  Adobes,  or 
sun-dried  bricks,  common  in  Spanish  countries,  are  made  by 
adding  a  portion  of  sand  to  the  clay  soil  and  mixing  with 
water  to  the  proper  consistency  for  molding.  To  accom- 
plish this  result  we  doffed  our  shoes  and  hosiery,  rolled  up 
our  trousers,  and  manipulated  the  mixture  with  our  feet. 
We  then  molded  it  into  bricks  measuring  eighteen  inches 
long,  twelve  inches  wide,  and  four  inches  thick,  and  dried 
them  hard  in  the  sun.  When  a  sufficient  quantity  was  pre- 
pared we  commenced  to  build  the  walls  of  a  Methodist 
chapel.  The  building  had  not  proceeded  many  days  when  a 
heavy  shower  destroyed  a  portion  of  our  wall ;  but,  hoping 
that  some  days  of  fair  weather  might  still  remain  before  the 
arrival  of  the  rainy  season,  we  manufactured  more  bricks 
and  continued  our  work.  But  this  shower  was  quickly  fol- 
lowed by  another,  and  another,  and  we  were  forced  to 
change  our  plan  of  construction.  Natives  brought  the 
poles  from  the  forest,  which  were  placed  in  the  ground  at  a 
distance  of  about  three  feet  apart,  these  interspersed  with 
smaller  saplings,  and  the  whole  intertwined  with  branches. 
This  furnished  a  base  about  six  inches  wide  for  the  three 
inches  of  plaster  within  and  without  that  gave  us  a  solid 
twelve-inch  wall,  which  we  roofed  over  with  thatch  skillfully 
twined  by  the  natives. 

Meantime  we  had  commenced  religious  services  in  this 
section  of  the  tribe,  preaching  a  plain  Gospel  "  short-cut  " 
into  the  way  of  salvation.  Marvelous  results  attended  these 
meetings,  which  developed  some  striking  illustrations  of  the 
aptitude  of  the  heathen  mind  to  receive  divine  truth  on  the 
foundation    of    faith    in    God    implanted    in    every    human 


540  The  Flaming  Torch 

breast.  The  belief  in  the  Supreme  Being  is  universal  in 
heathen  Africa.  They  have  different  names  for  God,  but 
they  all  signify  the  Almighty,  the  Creator  of  heaven  and 
earth.  In  South  Central  Africa  he  is  called  "  N'zambe,"  the 
Zambesi  River  receiving  its  name  from  him,  and  Zambesia, 
the  new  British  territory,  signif)'ing  "God's  country."  On 
the  West  Coast  he  is  known  as  "  Niswa."  A  heathen  man, 
awakened  under  my  preaching  through  an  interpreter  at 
Sasstown,  arose  and  said  : 

"  From  a  child  I  knew  '  Niswa,'  my  great  Father,  and 
often  talked  with  him  in  my  heart ;  but  when  I  grew  up 
and  shipped  with  wicked  sailors  in  the  coast  trade  I  was 
influenced  by  my  companions,  and  finally  lost  the  knowl- 
edge of  Niswa  out  of  my  heart.  When  the  light  went  out 
the  darkness  led  me  almost  to  despair,  and  I  said,  '  How 
shall  I  regain  that  which  I  have  lost?'  Then  I  remembered 
that  I  had  heard  of  a  cannibal  tribe,  living  more  than  a 
hundred  miles  toward  the  interior,  some  knowledge  of 
whose  language  I  had  acquired  from  men  of  their  towns 
who  had  vo}-aged  with  me  down  the  coast.  This  tribe  had 
not  come  in  contact  with  the  coast  civilization,  and  I  thought 
it  possible  that  they  had  retained  their  knowledge  of  Niswa 
and  might  lead  me  back  into  the  light.  After  my  journey 
to  their  chief  town  I  was  cordially  received  by  their  head- 
men, and  spent  some  time  in  making  the  acquaintance  of 
this  savage  people.  Watching  my  opportunity,  as  they 
were  assembled  on  one  occasion  in  their  place  of  worship, 
in  the  midst  of  their  idols  and  jujus,  I  arrested  their  atten- 
tion and  suddenly  inquired,  'Do  you  know  Niswa?'  '  O, 
yes;  O,  yes,'  came  in  chorus  from  those  about  me.  'And 
where  does  he  live?  '  said  I,  watching  to  see  if  they  would 
point  to  their  idols.  To  my  great  joy  every  hand  pointed 
toward  the  sky,  and  they  said,  '  Niswa  lives  there  ;  he  is  our 
father.'  Thus  the  savage  cannibals  led  me  back  into  the 
path  of  light  and  peace." 

Before  the  completion  of  the  chapel  our  services  were 
held  in  the  open  air,  and  crowds  of  natives,  attracted  by  our 


In  Darkest  Africa  543 

singing,  were  gathered  beneath  the  trees.  The  king  him- 
self and  his  chiefs  and  counselors  were  in  daily  attendance, 
seated  in  a  group  in  the  center,  listening  very  attentively  to 
the  Gospel  message.  Behind  them  stood  their  warrior  es- 
cort, and  a  miscellaneous  mass  of  heathenism  crowded  the 
outer  circle.  They  were  not  fair-weather  church  attendants, 
for  so  deep  was  their  interest  that  a  shower  of  rain  did  not 
move  them  from  their  position.  Beginning  \\ith  the  foun- 
dation already  laid  in  their  hearts  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  I 
made  a  close  application  of  the  moral  law  and  emphasized 
their  personal  responsibility  to  God.  Had  I  struck  at  their 
tribal  customs  and  immediately  denounced  polygamy  and 
witchcraft,  it  would  have  awakened  controversy  that  would 
have  resulted  in  an  uproar,  and  possibly  our  expulsion  from 
their  country.  Instead  of  attacking  specific  sins  I  have 
always  sounded  the  savage  heart  with  the  plummet  of  God's 
truth,  and  allowed  them  to  make  their  own  application. 
For  example,  I  have  never  attacked  their  custom  of  wear- 
ing ornaments  and  charms,  but  have  often  seen  them  tear 
these  emblems  of  heathenism  from  their  persons  and 
cast  them  under  their  feet  as  they  rushed  to  the  altar  of 
prayer. 

On  one  occasion  a  chief  came  forward  among  the  peni- 
tents, and,  after  a  painful  struggle  of  about  two  hours,  was 
enabled  to  surrender  to  God  and  receive  Christ  as  his  per- 
sonal Saviour.  His  face  all  aglow  with  the  new  light  in  his 
heart,  he  sprang  to  his  feet  and  began  to  give  glad  expres- 
sion to  his  new-found  joy.  When  for  a  moment  he  paused, 
a  voice,  proceeding  from  the  heathen  crowd  who  pressed 
around  the  circle  of  worshipers,  shouted  the  question,  "  Hi, 
hi,  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  your  wives?"  This  was 
a  vital  question,  and  the  great  crowd  listened  almost  breath- 
lessly for  the  answer.  It  came  without  an  instant's  hesita- 
tion, an  object  lesson  in  the  marvelous  working  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  the  human  heart :  "  I  will  show  you  what  I  will  do 
with  them,"  the  chief  responded.  He  had  six  wives,  and 
the}'  were  all  in  the  audience.     He  called  them  to  come  to 


544  The  Flaming  Torch 

the  front,  and  they  immediately  came,  not  daring  to  disobey 
him.  Addressing  them,  he  said  :  "  You  know  how  much 
you  have  cost  me,  and  how  valuable  you  are  to  me  in  till- 
ing my  fields,  gathering  my  harvests,  and  how  large  a  part 
of  my  wealth  you  represent,  and  you  know  that  yesterday 
I  would  not  have  given  one  of  you  your  liberty  to  save 
your  life.  Then  I  had  a  wicked  heart,  but  to  day  I  have 
met  the  God-man,  and  he  has  changed  my  wicked  nature  so 
that  now  I  want  to  do  that  which  is  right  in  his  sight. 
You  are  all  strong  and  able  to  do  well  for  yourselves,  and  I 
now  set  you  free,  retaining  only  my  first  wife."  He  then 
took  each  one  by  the  hand  and,  after  exhorting  her  to  seek 
the  Saviour,  said,  "  Now  you  are  free." 

Our  meetings  at  Sasstown  resulted  in  a  number  of  con- 
versions and  the  starting  of  a  good  work,  which  I  placed 
in  charge  of  K.  V.  Eckman,  who  was  a  remarkable  man  in 
many  ways.  He  was  born  in  the  island  of  Gottland,  in  the 
Baltic  Sea.  His  ancestors  received  a  title  from  the  King  of 
Sweden  for  service  rendered  in  a  time  of  danger,  and  roy- 
alty was  often  entertained  at  his  father's  house.  After  the 
death  of  his  mother  he  journeyed  to  England,  and  from 
there  to  Germany  and  Belgium,  after  which  he  determined 
to  visit  the  gold  fields  of  Australia.  He  missed  connection 
at  a  railway  station,  near  Sydney,  and  started  across  coun- 
try  alone  with  a  hundred  pounds  sterling  in  his  pocket. 
He  was  overtaken  by  eight  robbers,  and  when  they  opened 
fire  upon  him  he  backed  up  against  a  tree  and  defended 
himself  until  he  had  emptied  his  carbine  and  revolver.  He 
was  found  by  the  constabulary  robbed  and  unconscious,  and 
carried  to  a  hospital  in  Sydney.  After  his  recovery  he  en- 
listed and  served  for  six  months  in  the  Zulu  war.  After 
several  years  of  experience  as  a  sailor  in  many  waters  he 
arrived  in  the  port  of  New  York.  Receiving  a  kind  invita- 
tion from  a  lady  missionary  to  attend  a  religious  meeting, 
he  accepted,  was  converted  to  God,  and  was  received  into 
the  membership  of  Hanson  Place  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,    Brooklyn,    N.    Y.     After  very   efficient   service  as 


In  Darkest  Africa  545 

city  missionary  he  enlisted  for  Africa  and  accompanied  me 
to  the  Kroo  Coast. 

His  only  assistant  was  his  native  interpreter,  Nimly,  a 
man  of  heroic  mold,  who  became  a  great  factor  in  the  glo- 
rious work  that  followed.  In  less  than  two  years,  through 
their  united  efforts,  a  church  membership  of  a  hundred  and 
fifty  converted  natives  was  secured.  The  king  and  several  of 
his  chiefs  were  efficient  members  of  his  official  board,  and 
the  transformations  wrought  in  the  tribe  were  truly  marvel- 
ous. In  the  midst  of  the  revival  which  started  while  I  tar- 
ried with  them  the  council  of  the  tribe  met  in  a  great 
palaver  and  passed  three  remarkable  laws,  which  were 
immediately  enforced.  The  first  of  these  established  the 
sanctity  of  the  Christian  Sabbath,  imposing  a  fine  of  a  bul- 
lock upon  any  man  found  doing  ordinary  work  on  that  day. 
The  second  forbade  the  giving  of  the  sasswood  test  to  per- 
sons accused  of  witchcraft,  and  thus  struck  a  heavy  blow  at 
a  heathenish  practice  which  had  deprived  many  thousands 
of  their  lives.  The  third  law  was  a  decree  forever  banish- 
ing the  "devil"  from  their  country.  This  was  brought 
about  in  an  amusing  incident  in  which  Missionary  Eck- 
man  figured  very  prominently.  The  Kroo  "  devil  "  is  a 
wild  heathen,  wdio  usually  lives  in  a  large  hollow  tree  in  the 
forest,  and  keeps  the  superstitious  natives  at  a  respectful 
distance  by  the  unearthly  sounds  which  proceed  from  it.  As 
I  was  following  a  forest  path  I  passed  close  to  one  of  these 
strange  habitations,  and  the  yells  and  screams  which  greeted 
my  ears  certainly  sounded  demoniacal,  and  I  was  constrained 
to  pass  by  on  the  other  side.  The  "  devil  "  comes  to  town 
f.mtastically  dressed  in  the  skins  of  wild  animals,  and  when 
he  makes  his  appearance  the  women  and  children  run 
screaming  to  their  huts,  and  even  the  men  hide  themselves 
until  he  takes  his  departure,  which  affords  him  opportunity 
to  help  himself  to  whatever  he  can  lay  hands  on.  On 
one  of  these  tribute-collecting  excursions  he  met  Mission- 
ary Eckman  in  the  midst  of  the  deserted  village,  and  with 
wild  gesticulations  and  screams  endeavored  to  intimidate 
"35 


546  The  Flaming  Torch 

him.  Failing  in  this,  he  attempted  bodily  harm  ;  but  the 
missionary,  who  was  armed  with  a  slight  stick  with  which 
he  quickly  responded,  "  whipping  the  devil  around  the 
stump,  giving  a  lick  at  every  jump."  The  missionary 
was  soon  joined  in  the  pursuit  by  the  now  reassured  na- 
tives, who  had  hitherto  believed  that  to  lift  a  hand  against 
the  "devil"  would  mean  instant  death.  The  chase  was  not 
given  up  until  the  forest  was  reached,  where  he  disappeared, 
never  to  return  to  their  village. 

Some  of  the  practices  of  witchcraft  were  too  deeply 
rooted  in  the  tribe  to  be  as  quickly  disposed  of  as  the  out- 
lawed "  devil."  In  connection  with  the  central  mission  sta- 
tion at  Sasstown  Mr.  Eckman  opened  several  substations 
in  the  interior  and  put  them  in  charge  of  converted  natives. 
These  were  amid  savage  surroundings,  and  time  was  re- 
quired to  bring  the  wild  spirits  into  subjection  to  the  new 
tribal  laws  resulting  from  the  introduction  of  Christianity. 
On  the  very  day  that  America  was  celebrating  her  national 
independence  Mr.  Eckman  witnessed  a  scene  that  illustrated 
the  bondage  to  Satan  of  his  heathen  neiglibors.  After  re- 
tiring for  the  night  his  interpreter,  the  faithful  Nimly,  came 
running  to  his  quarters  with  the  announcement  that  Chief 
Toba,  the  kind  friend  who  had  furnished  the  house  for 
'*  God-palaver  "  at  Martin  Station,  had  been  condemned  to 
drink  the  sasswood  poison.  Some  one  had  died  suddenly, 
therefore  some  one  must  have  bewitched  him  ;  Chief  Toba 
was  accused,  and  must  take  the  life  or  death  test.  If  guilty, 
the  poison  will  kill  him  ;  if  innocent,  he  will  live.  Although 
weak  and  ill,  just  recovering  from  a  serious  fever,  Mr.  Eck- 
man sprang  from  his  hammock  and  quickly  prepared  for  the 
twenty-mile  journey  on  foot.  The  night  was  dark  and 
stormy,  and  he  and  his  two  native  companions  were  obliged 
to  pick  their  way  carefully  through  the  dense  forest,  while 
their  ears  were  almost  momentarily  greeted  by  the  growl  of 
the  leopard  and  the  roar  of  the  lion  ;  but  they  were  on  the 
King's  business  and  remembered  his  promise,  "  Thou  shalt 
not  be  afraid  for  the  terror  by  night."     Before  the  dawn  they 


In  Darkest  Africa  549 

arrived  at  the  village,  where  by  the  light  of  the  camp  fire 
they  saw  the  noble  Toba  standing  calm  and  dignified  in  the 
midst  of  a  howling  mob.  After  the  sweet  notes  of  one  of 
Charles  Wesley's  hymns  had  soothed  the  savages  into  silence 
Brother  Eckman,  through  his  interpreter,  told  them  the 
sweet  story  of  the  Saviour's  redeeming  love.  Then  he  was 
permitted  to  speak  with  the  prisoner,  with  whom  he  prayed, 
pointing  him  to  Jesus.  At  daylight  the  entire  town  was  in 
wild  excitement.  From  the  center  of  the  circle  of  protect- 
ing chiefs  and  warriors  the  prisoner  recounted  his  noble 
deeds  and  his  devotion  to  his  people.  Then  the  execu- 
tioner arrived  with  mortar,  pots,  water,  and  the  sasswood. 
A  small  drum  was  placed  before  the  prisoner,  who  tapped  it 
to  signify  that  he  was  read}'.  A  procession  was  formed,  the 
executioner  leading,  the  prisoner  close  behind  him,  and 
after  him  the  warriors  brandishing  their  knives  and  spears. 
They  halted  at  the  entrance  to  the  forest,  and  while  the 
executioner  pounded  the  sasswood  bark  and  mixed  the 
deadly  potion,  according  to  custom  many  came  to  make 
their  peace  with  the  prisoner.  The  faithful  missionary's 
appeal  for  mercy  was  drowned  by  the  wild  }ells  of  the  novv^ 
infuriated  mob.  All  was  ready  ;  the  prisoner  again  beat  the 
drum,  the  executioner  stood  ready  with  the  poison  (two 
gallons  and  a  half),  which  the  prisoner  must  drink.  After 
taking  a  portion  a  march  around  the  town  was  commenced, 
which  continued  for  some  hours,  with  occasional  halts  while 
more  of  the  deadh'  drug  was  administered  to  the  prisoner. 
During  the  march  he  was  taken  to  his  home,  where  a  tribal 
ceremony  was  performed.  I  lis  brother  took  a  mouthful  of 
water  and  blew  it  upon  him,  signifying  rest  in  peace.  Mis 
mother  came  forward,  holding  in  her  right  hand  a  shell  filled 
with  water.  Thrice  she  poured  a  little  into  her  left  hand 
and  allowed  it  to  fall  to  the  ground ;  then  she  took  a 
mouthful  from  the  shell  and  blew  it  upon  him,  a  token  of 
her  blessing.  He  was  now  ready  for  death,  which  released 
the  spirit  from  the  tortured  body  late  that  night. 

After  two  years  of  arduous  toil,  in  which  he   spared   not 


550 


The  Flaming  Torch 


himself,  Brother  Eckman's  frequent  exposures  in  swamp 
and  forest  resulted  in  a  fatal  disease,  and  a  brother  mission- 
ary was  summoned  from  a  distant  coast  station  to  take 
charge  of  the  work.  When  he  arrived  he  found  a  number 
of  native  converts  tenderly  ministering  to  the  dying  man. 
They  were  kneeling  in  pra}'er  around  his  couch.  The  sad, 
anxious  look  on  their  black  faces  gave  way  to  one  of  joy 
when  they  saw  the  missionary  approaching,  and,  running 
toward  him,  they  cried,  "  O,  God-man,  save  him  !  save  him  !' 
he  must  not  die !  "  But  at  a  glance  he  knew  that  dear 
Brother  Eckman  was  beyond  the  aid  of  human  skill.  Just 
before  the  soul  took  its  flight  he  said,  "  Brother  Harris,  I 
have  given  my  life  for  the  children  of  Africa,  but  it  pays, 
it  pays  ;  glory  !  glory  !  " 


In  Darkest  Africa 


551 


CHAPTER  L 
The  Gospel  in  Tonga 

ONG  after  the  mission  stations  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Inliambane  Bay,  southeast  coast,  had 
been  given  up  by  the  American  Board, 
whose  missionaries  had  been  removed  to 
other  locations,  native  converts  who  had' 
been  trained  as  evangehsts  were  steadfast- 
1\'  maintaining  the  mission  schools  and 
preaching  to  the  people.  They 
were  surrounded  by  a  heathen 
population  estimated  at  three  mil- 
lions and  a  half,  without  a  white 
missionary.  Faithful  men  and 
women  had  pioneered  the  field,  and  the  American  Board  had 
expended  seventy  thousand  dollars  in  its  development.  Of 
those  who  had  taken  a  prominent  part  in  this  work  I  have 
already  mentioned  Rev.  Erwin  H.  Richards,  who  translated 
the  New  Testament  into  Tonga  and  gave  them  other  Chris- 
tian literature.  His  love  for  this  people,  for  whom  he  had 
toiled  and  suffered  for  ten  years,  would  not  permit  him  to 
consent  to  their  abandonment,  and  on  Christmas  Day,  1892, 
he  received  appointment  to  renew  and  extend  the  work  to 
which  he  had  devoted  his  life.  It  was  a  Christmas  present  to 
the  Tonga  people,  for  which  very  many  of  them  will  rejoice 
in  eternity.  As  he  was  intrusted  with  entire  control,  and  I 
did  not  have  opportunity  to  visit  that  portion  of  the  conti- 
nent, the  descriptions  of  the  work  are  from  his  own  pen. 

Rev.  and  Mrs.  Richards  returned  to  Inhambane  in  June, 
1893.  At  the  earliest  opportunity  everyone  of  the  converts 
on  the  four  mission  stations  came  to  greet  them  with  a 
thank  offering  of  rice  or  fowls,  and  entreated  them  to  re- 
main.    From    Makodweni   came   Tizora,   who   had    been   a 


552 


The  Flaming  Torch 


pupil  of  Mrs.  Richards  for  four  years.  He  had  been  preach- 
ing every  Sunday  and  teaching  day  school,  and  brought 
with  him  the  money  to  pay  for  a  few  slates  for  his  scholars. 
Supporting  himself  and  his  family  from  his  little  garden,  he 
had  continued  to  labor  for  the  salvation  of  his  people  with- 
out any  compensation.  "  The  teachings  are  given  by  Jesus 
Christ,"  he  said,  in  the  love  feast,  "  that  we  may  know  him. 
His  mercies  are  very  great.  I  care  little  for  the  mercies  of 
earth,   but   these   mercies   of  Christ,  how^  great    they    are ! 

How  he  wishes  us  to  know  him  ! 
He  loves  to  bless  his  people. 
Matthew  left  a  tableful  of  rupees 
to  follow  him,  and  what  did  he 
find  ?  He  received  something  as 
far  above  rupees  as  heaven  is 
above  earth.  His  love  is  of  more 
value  than  pounds  sterling.  I  re- 
joice that  my  little  lonesome  path 
has  at  last  run  into  the  King's 
highway."  Makodweni  has  a 
mission  house  and  twenty-four 
hundred  acres  of  land,  with  the 
nucleus  of  a  church  membership. 
Muti  had  charge  at  Kambine, 
where,  in  company  with  a  hand- 
ful of  others,  he  was  making  such 
a  fight  for  Christian  liberty  as  can- 
not be  accounted  for  outside  of  living  inspiration.  The 
chief  and  all  the  fathers  of  the  tribe  had  repeatedly  forbade 
their  holding  any  meetings  for  worship,  and  once  the  chief 
came  in  and  tore  up  the  seats,  carried  off  the  door,  and 
finally  they  tore  the  house  down.  But  the  little  band  met 
under  a  tree  and  sang  and  prayed  and  preached  as  boldly  as 
ever  did  the  three  Hebrew  children,  and  took  up  a  collec- 
tion to  carry  the  Gospel  to  any  who  were  beyond  their  range 
of  fire,  everyone  giving  all  the  money  they  possessed.  From 
Mongwe  came  Mabumbi  and  her  brother  Farangwana,  where, 


Tizora  and  Muti 


In  Darkest  Africa 


553 


in  the  absence  of  a  mission  house,  they  gathered  a  httle  con- 
gregation around  their  torchhght  to  show  unto  them  the 
way  of  salvation.  They  built  a  grass  chapel  for  Sunday  serv- 
ices, in  sight  of  which  were  twenty  thousand  unevangelized 
heathen,  and  the  work  moved  on  as  if  in  charge  of  a  regular 
missionary.  This  is  that  same  Mabumbi  who  years  before 
had  knelt  by  the  side  of  Mrs.  Richards  and  prayed,  "  O  Lord 
Jesus,  send  down  that  big  soap  of  thine  that  is  able  to  take 
the  dirt  out  of  my  soul."  In  the  love  feast  she  said  :  "Jesus 
Christ  came  to  die  for  sinners. 
I  am  filled  with  sorrow  because 
the  whole  country  is  full  of  sin- 
ners." The  next  to  speak  was 
Fazenda.  The  third  finger  of 
her  left  hand  was  bitten  off  by 
her  former  husband.  She  was 
redeemed  by  the  missionaries  and 
became  a  successful  Christian 
worker  at  Makodweni.  She  is 
the  daughter  of  a  chief,  and  had 
the  joy  of  seeing  several  mem- 
bers of  his  family  converted. 
"  Christ  remembers,"  she  said, 
"  all  about  each  one  of  us.  It 
is  impossible  for  him  to  forget 
us.  His  word  teaches  me  this. 
They  are  truly  blessed  who  know  him.  He  has  made 
me  clean.  I  rejoice  in  him  exceedingly.  I  have  entered 
into  his  temple,  and  his  name  is  very  sweet.  I  follow  him 
every  one  of  these  present  days.  I  would  not  leave  him  for 
other  ways,  not  if  I  were  offered  this  table  filled  with  sover- 
eigns." Among  others  who  spoke  in  the  meeting  was  Zamu- 
tayo.  When  she  determined  to  enter  into  the  Christian 
pathway  her  husband,  who  also  ruled  over  two  other  wives, 
was  angry  and  tried  to  frighten  her.  Failing  in  this,  he  tried 
to  kill  her  outright,  which  he  frequently  attempted  till  she 
ran  away  to  the  mission  house.     "  God  never  forgets,"  she 


Farangwana  and  Mabumbi 


554  The  Flaming  Torch 

said.  "  I  care  nothing  for  men  ;  I  fear  them  not.  I  care 
for  Jesus  Christ.  I  am  trying  to  read  his  word,  that  I  may- 
find  his  paths  and  walk  in  them.  I  am  following  him  every 
day.  The  kingdom  is  his,  I  shall  not  want."  This  from 
one  who  had  been  robbed  of  every  stitch  of  clothing  and 
had  frequently  to  escape  for  her  life  into  the  forest !  It  was 
a  pathetic  picture  presented  by  these  native  converts,  like  a 
little  flock  in  the  wilderness,  imparting  mutual  encourage- 
ment while  they  prayed  for  missionaries. 

By  the  liberal  responses  of  the  friends  of  the  cause  Mr. 
Richards  was  enabled,  after  weeks  of  weary  negotiation 
with  the  government  authorities,  to  purchase  back  all  the 
mission  property.  A  large  proportion  of  the  funds  required 
was  secured  by  the  personal  efforts  of  Mr.  Richards  during 
the  two  visits  he  has  made  to  the  United  States,  and  nearly 
all  the  work  on  the  four  mission  stations  he  and  Mrs.  Rich- 
ards accomplished,  and  when  she  fell  in  the  midst  of  cease- 
less toil  he  carried  the  burden  alone  for  years.  Four  recruits 
were  sent  to  his  assistance,  but  their  stay  was  brief.  On  his 
latest  return  to  Inhambane  he  was  accompanied  by  three 
other  missionaries:  the  estimable  lady  who  was  to  be  a  full 
partner  in  his  joys  and  sorrows,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Buck- 
waiter,  who  were  long  successful  workers  in  Liberia.  With 
these  reinforcements  and  additional  funds  to  extend  the 
work,  including  the  special  gift  of  a  thousand  dollars  for  the 
opening  of  the  "  Christian  Blinn  Memorial  Hospital,"  the 
work  is  becoming  well  established.  The  hospital  was  greatly 
needed  in  a  population  including  many  who  are  sadly 
afflicted  physically,  and  it  was  fitting  that  it  should  bear  the 
name  of  my  friend  who  was  so  long  connected  with  our  Mis- 
sionary Society. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


555 


CHAPTER  LI 

The  Torch  in  a  Strong  Hand 

^  w     NDOUBTEDLY  great  events   in 

■  I  j^^     the  history  of  missionary  move- 

^^1  1 1,'^     ments  are  preceded  by  a  provi- 

oPI  jV^Ii     dential    preparation    not  ahvays 

'^       ■  '  "-''i^f     immediately  perceived,  but    un- 

mistakably clear  in  the  unfold- 
ings  of  subsequent  history. 
There  is  a  preparation  of  the 
people,  as  in  the  case  of  Cor- 
nelius and  company;  the  spiritual  stirring  of  the  Bechuanas, 
whose  chief  journeyed  southward  to  find  a  God-man  ;  in  the 
Basutos,  whose  wild  prophet-lad  foretold  the  coming  of 
*'  pale  men  in  black  coats,"  who  would  bring  them  a  mes- 
sa"-e  from  the  ereat  N'zambe.  These  witnesses  innumerable 
are  oft  illustrated  in  this  volume.  Then  there  is  the  prep- 
aration of  the  messengers  chosen  of  God  ;  a  long  apprentice- 
ship like  that  of  Moses,  or  a  "short  cut  "  like  that  of  Saul 
of  Tarsus. 

When  the  General  Conference  of  1896  decided  that  fifty-five 
years  of  service  in  every  clime  demanded  rest  as  well  as  recog- 
nition, God's  chosen  man  was  ready  to  bear  the  standard  into 
the  depths  of  the  Dark  Continent.  They  did  not  know  it ; 
he  did  not  know  it.  He  had  just  made  an  impassioned  ap- 
peal for  the  selection  of  a  black  man  to  lead  on  the  Metho- 
dist missionaries  in  Africa.  But  He  who  had  specially 
prepared  him  for  that  difficult  service  in  the  development  of 
a  splendid  physical  constitution  on  the  Illinois  farm  ;  of  a 
healthful  Christian  manhood  in  Weslcyan  University  and 
Garrett  Biblical  Institute;  of  heroism  in  the  rescue  of  lives 
on  the  stormy  lake,  or  standing  at  his  post  of  duty  in  the 
South  when  hundreds  around  him  fell  victims  to  the  dreaded 


556 


The  Flaming  Torch 


"yellow  jack;"  of  a  clear  insight  into  Negro  nature  and  needs 
as  pastor,  editor,  and  business  and  spiritual  overseer  of  the 
work  of  a  Church  in  the  South  that  developed  so  system- 
atically under  the  touch  of  his  mind  and  heart — He  who 
had  his  man  ready  for  the  occasion  as  clearly  revealed  him 
to  the  Conference  as  he  did  David  for  the  anointing  of 
Samuel.  No  nominations  were  made  when  they  proceeded 
to  an  election.  On  the  first  ballot  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
three  members  voted  this  conviction,  and  when  the  second 
was  announced  a  shout  of  victory  simultaneously  echoed 

from  every  heart.  I  accepted 
the  action  of  the  General  Con- 
ference as  from  God,  and  as 
I  arose  and  clasped  the  hand 
of  my  successor  my  soul  went 
out  in  a  prayer  for  the  brave 
heart  and  broad  shoulders 
upon  which  had  fallen  a  man- 
tle of  toil  and  sacrifice  such 
as  only  God  and  himself 
would  ever  know  in  carrying 
on  the  great  work  now  com- 
mitted unto  him  ;  a  prayer  oft 
expressed  since  in  my  public 
Bishop  J.  C.  Hartzell  ^^,ij  private  petitions. 

Having  been  called  of  God  to  a  special  evangelistic  mis- 
sion in  South  Africa,  I  could  not  accompany  Bishop  Hart- 
zell on  his  first  tour  of  the  continent,  and  cannot  supply  the 
link  in  a  way  that  will  be  more  appreciated  by  my  readers 
than  by  here  introducing  the  man  himself  and  listening  with 
you  to  his  personal  account  of  some  of  his  observations  in 
darkest  Africa : 

"  I  sailed  from  New  York  December  9,  1896,  and  returned 
to  the  same  port  March  30,  1898.  During  these  nearly  six- 
teen months  I  made  my  first  episcopal  tour  of  Africa.  My 
travels  included  about  forty  thousand  miles  by  sea  and  by 
land.     Over  seven  thousand  miles  were  traveled  on  the  conti- 


In  Darkest  Africa  557 

nent  of  Africa  itself,  ni)'  determination  being  to  see  all  the 
missions  in  Africa,  both  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Churcii 
and  those  which  have  been  inaugurated  by  my  distinguished 
predecessor,  Bishop  William  Taylor,  which  missions  had 
been  transferred  to  me  by  him,  and  accepted  as  foreign  mis- 
sions by  the  Church,  and  also  to  make  extended  tours  of 
observation  with  a  view  to  the  opening  of  missions  in  the 
future  at  such  places  as  Providence  might  indicate  and  the 
interest  in  the  African  Church  at  home  might  justify.  I 
spent  two  months  in  Liberia,  one  month  in  Sierra  Leone, 
both  on  the  West  Coast  north  of  the  equator.  My  next 
trip  was  up  the  Congo  to  the  falls  and  back  again,  entering 
the  mouth  of  that  great  river  nearly  two  thousand  miles 
south  of  Liberia.  My  next  tour  was  in  Angola,  entering  the 
country  on  the  coast  at  St.  Paul  de  Loanda,  three  hundred 
miles  south  of  the  Congo  mouth  ;  thence  up  the  Coanza 
River  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  to  Dondo,  the  head  of 
navigation,  and  then  by  caravan  route  nearly  three  hundred 
miles  to  the  farthest  station  at  Malange.  This  tour  in  the 
study  of  work  in  Angola,  including  tours  of  inspection, 
occupied  two  months  and  required  nearly  one  thousand 
miles  of  travel  in  the  interior,  by  boat  and  hammock,  on 
bullock,  on  foot,  and  lastly  a  short  distance  by  rail. 

"  Returning  to  England,  Mrs.  Hartzell  met  me  there  from 
America,  and  together  we  sailed  for  Cape  Town,  six  thou- 
sand miles  south  of  London,  and  from  thence  made  the  tour 
one  thousand  five  hundred  miles  northward  to  Bukiwayo, 
thence  through  the  Orange  Free  State  and  the  South  Afri- 
can Republic  or  Transvaal  eastward  to  Delagoa  Bay  on  the 
Indian  Ocean,  then  northward  five  hundred  miles  to  Beira, 
just  south  of  the  Zambesi  River,  and  then  in  the  interior  two 
hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  to  Umtali,  in  eastern  Rhodesia. 
Bishop  Taylor  had  already,  under  Dr.  E.  H.  Richards  as 
superintendent,  developed  missions  at  Inhambane,  between 
Delagoa  Bay  and  Beira,  with  several  stations  interiorward. 
Returning,  crossed  the  continent  to  Cape  Town  and  north- 
ward to  the  Madeira  Islands,  where  Mrs.  Hartzell  remained 


558  The  Flaming  Torch 

until  I  made  a  second  tour  to  Liberia,  and  for  a  second  time 
held  the  Annual  Conference  in  that  republic. 

"The  work  in  Liberia  consists  of  churches,  stations,  and 
missions  among  the  Americo-Liberians,  who  are  either 
emigrants  from  the  United  States  or  their  descendants,  and 
who  speak  the  English  language,  and  work  among  the 
heathen  of  that  republic. 

"  There  are  five  presiding  elders'  districts,  and  each  one  in- 
cludes a  section  of  the  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  the 
Liberian  coast  line,  and  extends  into  the  interior  in  propor- 
tion as  the  authority  of  the  government  is  maintained  over 
the  natives  and  we  have  been  able  to  push  the  work. 

"  Among  the  Americo-Liberians  we  have,  besides  the  five 
presiding  elders,  thirty  stations  and  circuits.  The  church  at 
Monrovia  is  vigorous  and  self-supporting,  and  has  a  fine 
property;  the  church  at  Cape  Palmas  is  also  strong  and 
practically  self-supporting*  A  few  other  appointments  will 
soon  take  care  of  themselves,  but  as  a  rule  such  is  the 
poverty  of  the  people  and  such  are  the  difficulties  which 
surround  them,  being  hemmed  in  on  all  sides  by  demoraliz- 
ing paganism  and  aggressive  Mohammedanism,  that  there 
seems  to  be  needed  a  large  increase  in  the  number  and  effi- 
ciency of  the  preachers  and  teachers.  It  will  require  con- 
tinued aid  for  some  years  if  we  are  to  accomplish  work 
among  this  people  worthy  of  the  Church  or  its  oppor- 
tunities. 

"  The  past  year  has  been  one  of  faithful  service  among  the 
Liberians.  Properties  have  been  improved,  the  Sunday 
schools  looked  after,  a  spirit  of  self-help  has  been  encour- 
aged, work  among  the  surrounding  heathen  enlarged,  and 
at  several  pomts  there  have  been  gracious  revivals. 

"While  for  many  years  some  work  was  carried  on  among 
the  heathen  in  Liberia,  it  was  not  until  Bishop  William 
Taylor  inaugurated  an  advance  movement  in  1885  that  any 
large  work  in  this  important  field  was  attempted.  Heroic 
men  and  women  have  given  their  lives  in  this  pioneer 
service  in  a  difficult  field.     Among  many  others  was  Miss 


In  Darkest  Africa  559 

Grace  White,  in  charge  of  the  work  at  Barraka  Station. 
The  day  before  she  died  she  said,  '  If  God  has  finished  with 
me  in  Africa,  and  if  my  work  is  done,  I  am  glad  of  it.'  The 
native  kings  and  headmen  of  the  surrounding  country 
came  and  begged  tlic  privilege  of  carrying  her  body  to  the 
nearest  village,  where  so  often  she  had  preached  the  Gospel 
to  them,  and  having  the  funeral  services  held  there.  They 
also  made  a  formal  demand  that  her  body  should  be  buried 
near  the  station,  and  not  taken  to  the  coast  or  America, 
which  they  feared  might  be  done.  After  the  services  in  the 
village  they  reverently  carried  the  plain  cofifin  containing 
the  precious  dust  back  to  the  mission  graveyard,  and  assisted 
at  the  burial.  There  were  fully  one  hundred  of  these  men, 
all  dressed  with  scrupulous  cleanliness  in  new  native  clothes. 
When  Miss  White  began  her  work  there  she  was  very  much 
opposed  by  the  natives.  Now  the}-  say,  '  Miss  White 
always  told  us  the  truth,  and  she  must  be  buried  in  our 
midst,  and  \\'e  want  the  missionaries  to  stay  and  labor 
among  us.'  A  most  fitting  thing  would  be  to  establish  the 
Grace  WHiite  Hospital  at  Barraka  as  a  memorial  to  her  life 
and  work. 

"  The  educational  work  of  Liberia  I  found  to  include  the 
Monrovia  Seminar)',  with  an  enrollment  of  fifty-six,  to  the 
principalship  of  which  I  appointed  Professor  A.  B.  Camphor, 
who,  with  his  wife,  had  sailed  with  me  from  America;  also 
Cape  Palmas  Seminary,  at  Cape  Palmas,  with  an  enrollment 
of  fifty-four  pupils;  and  the  White  Plains  Seminar)-,  on 
Saint  Paul  River,  under  the  care  of  Mr.  E.  H.  Greeley  and 
his  wife,  with  an  enrollment  of  fort)',  fifteen  of  whom  were 
natives. 

"The  statistics  of  the  Conference  showed  2,598  members, 
442  probationers,  55  local  preachers,  56  Sunday  schools, 
with  498  officers  and  teachers,  and  2,540  scholars;  42 
churches,  valued  at  $50,805,  and  3  parsonages,  valued  at 
$1,950.  There  was  paid  during  the  year  on  building  and 
improving  churches  and  parsonages  $1,877.50,  and  there  has 
been  raised  among  the  churches,  as  shown  by  the  statistics. 


560 


The  Flaming  Torch 


$1,098.49  for  the  support  of  pastors,  and  $169.55  for  the 
support  of  presiding  elders. 

"  I  reached  Congo  April  22,  1897,  and  found  missionary- 
stations  at  Banana  Point,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and 
at  Vivi  Station,  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  up  the 
river,  at  the  head  of  navigation.  There  were  also  proper- 
ties at  Boma,  the  capital  of  the  Congo  Free  State,  and  at 
other  points.  As  a  result  of  a  combination  of  unavoidable 
circumstances  all  the  other  mission  stations  had  been  aban- 
doned, several  of  the  missionaries  had  died,  and  many  had 
returned  home. 

"  Eternity  alone  will  serve  to  demonstrate  how  much  good 


Salisbury,  Mashonaland 

was  accomplished  by  the  devoted  and  heroic  labors  of 
Bishop  William  Taylor's  missionaries  on  the  Congo  who  lie 
buried  at  various  stations  awaiting  the  resurrection  of  the 
just. 

"  It  was  my  great  privilege  to  baptize  two  native  converts, 
a  boy  and  a  girl,  who  gave  evidence  of  being  converted. 

"  One  of  the  many  times  when  Bishop  Taylor  during  his 
long  and  eventful  career  was  led  by  the  Holy  Spirit  was 
when  in  March,  1885,  he  landed  with  a  party  of  forty  mission- 
aries and  entered  upon  the  heroic  movement  of  inaugu- 
rating a  line  of  stations  far  in  the  interior  of  Portuguese 
West  Africa.  Of  the  many  fields  in  different  sections  of  the 
African  continent  presenting  opportunities  for  successful 
missionary  worlc  among  its  native  people  scarcely  any  other 


In  Darkest  Africa  561 

offers  as  favorable  opportunities  as  this  section.  The  prov- 
ince includes  over  seven  hundred  thousand  square  miles, 
and  extends  from  the  Congo  River  on  the  north,  six  de- 
grees south  of  the  equator,  to  Great  Fish  Bay,  eleven  de- 
grees farther  south.  This  means  eight  hundred  miles  of 
coast  line.  On  the  north  it  is  bounded  by  the  Congo  Free 
State,  on  the  east  by  the  Congo  Free  State  and  British  Central 
Africa,  and  on  the  south  by  German  Southwest  Africa.  It  ex- 
tends over  seven  hundred  miles  from  St.  Paul  de  Loanda, 
its  capital,  on  the  coast,  into  the  upper  Congo  valley,  which 
is  drained  by  the  southern  tributaries  of  that  great  river. 
Loanda  is  a  city  of  eighteen  thousand  people,  beautifully 
located,  and  has  more  white  people  than  any  city  on  the 
West  African  coast.  The  Portuguese  began  its  settlement 
over  four  hundred  years  ago,  and  Angola  is  now  the  most 
important  African  possession  of  that  nation.  The  province 
is  divided  into  four  great  sections,  Congo,  Loanda,  Benguela, 
Mossamedes.  The  Presbyterians  have  missions  in  Bihe  in 
Benguela,  and  the  Arnot  missions  are  southeast  of  that. 
The  missions  of  American  Methodism  are  the  only  ones  in 
the  territory  of  the  northern  half  of  the  province,  which 
includes  nearly  four  hundred  thousand  square  miles.  After 
leaving  the  coast  at  Loanda  and  passing  the  usual  conti- 
nental belt  strip  of  lowlands,  you  begin  to  ascend,  rising  first 
upon  one  plateau  and  then  another,  until  at  Malange,  three 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  inland,  you  are  five  thousand  feet 
above  the  sea  with  a  comparatively  healthy  climate. 

"In  1854  David  Livingstone  made  his  first  trip  across  the 
continent  from  the  Zambesi  to  Loanda,  and  back  again;  in 
1885  Bishop  William  Ta\-lor,  starting  from  Loanda  with  a 
company  of  missionaries,  passed  over  the  same  route,  open- 
ing a  series  of  stations  as  far  interior  as  Alalange.  Last 
June  it  was  my  privilege  to  go  along  the  same  paths  in  a 
hammock,  on  bullock,  or  on  foot,  accompanied  by  the  Rev. 
Amos  E.  Withey  and  the  Rev.  W.  P.  Dodson,  both  of  whom 
were  members  of  Bishop  Taylor's  first  party. 

"The    Kimbundu     language    is    spoken    by    millions    of 
36 


562  The  Flaming  Torch 

natives  occupying  this  vast  region.  The  natives  are  of  a 
fine  class,  and  are  ready  everywhere  to  give  a  respectful 
hearing  to  the  representatives  of  the  Gospel.  If  ever  Bishop 
William  Taylor  was  led  providentially  to  enter  a  missionary 
field  he  was  so  led  to  open  the  work  in  the  province  of 
Angola.  Stations  were  opened  at  Loanda,  Dondo,  Nhan- 
gue-a-Pepo,  Ouihongoa,  Pungo  Andongo,  Malange,  and 
Quessua.  There  has  not  been  as  much  accomplished  in 
these  stations  as  had  been  hoped,  but  in  what  missionary 
field  among  native  heathen  is  this  not  true?  The  ground 
has  been  occupied,  and  in  uniting  the  work  in  Angola  and 
on  the  Congo  on  the  West  Coast,  and  the  Zambesi 
work  on  the  East  Coast,  I  was  able  to  organize,  June  9-15, 
1897,  the  Congo  Mission  Conference  with  a  missionary  force 
of  thirty. 

"We  met  in  the  neat  little  chapel  of  the  mission  station. 
The  building  has  adobe  walls  with  tiled  roofing.  The 
structure  has  been  erected  under  the  careful  supervision  of 
Brother  Dodson,  and  together  with  three  other  buildings  is 
substantially  made  with  a  view  of  resisting  the  encroach- 
ments of  the  white  ants  and  the  changes  of  heat  and  cold, 
and  months  of  dry  or  wet  weather,  which  are  permanent  fac- 
tors in  South  Central  Africa. 

"  We  had  a  gracious  session  of  prayer  before  beginning  our 
work.  All  realize  that  the  organization  of  the  Conference  was 
a  most  important  epoch  in  the  history  of  our  missions  in  the 
southern  half  of  Africa. 

"  This  company  of  Christian  workers  commanded  my 
thorough  respect  as  consecrated  and  faithful  servants  and 
handmaidens  of  the  Lord.  Their  lots  have  been  cast  in  a 
difficult  field,  death  had  thinned  their  ranks,  and  precious 
children,  blooming  into  womanhood,  had  been  taken  from 
sorrowing  parents. 

"  Chief  of  this  little  group,  in  the  midst  of  heathenism,  was 
Amos  E.  Withey,  who,  as  presiding  elder,  business  manager 
of  the  trading  interests,  and  general  counselor,  had  faced  all 
difficulties,   and   with  faith   in   God   had  held  the  work  to- 


A  Madamba,  the  African  Piano 


In  Darkest  Africa  565 

gether,  waiting  for  reinforcements  and  the  sympathy  of  the 
whole  Church.  Brother  Dodson,  besides  taking  his  share 
of  responsibihties,  has  come  to  be  the  physician  of  the  Con- 
ference. He  is  lovingly  called  *  Our  Dr.  Luke.'  He  took 
care  of  me  during  a  week  of  fever,  and  although  he  does  not 
carry  the  sheepskin  of  a  medical  college  he  has  tact  and 
good  medical  sense,  and  is  trusted  by  his  fellow-workers. 
No  doubt  he  has  been  instrumental  in  saving  a  number  of 
lives.  Brother  Gordon  is  a  man  of  rare  business  ability  and 
consecration.  Brother  Mead  is  a  man  of  heroic  mold,  and 
has  the  spirit  of  Christ  in  a  marked  degree  and  lots  of  com- 
mon sense  in  planting  missions  and  reaching  the  natives. 
Brother  Herbert  C.  Withey,  a  son  of  Brother  Withey  above 
mentioned,  was  twelve  years  old  when  he  arrived  with  his 
parents  at  Loanda  in  1885.  He  has  grown  up  into  beautiful 
and  symmetrical  Christian  manhood.  The  value  of  one 
such  man  being  produced  in  a  mission  field  is  beyond  com- 
putation. Brothers  Shields  and  Miller  arc  faithful  and  suc- 
cessful missionaries.  All  the  above  are  married  except  the 
younger  Withey  and  Brother  William  S.  Miller,  and  the 
wives  of  these  five  men  are  consecrated  and  brave.  Mrs. 
Mary  B.  Shuett,  from  the  Chicago  Training  School,  buried 
her  husband  about  two  years  ago,  but  she  could  not  leave 
the  field,  and  so  with  her  little  boy  she  proposes  to  make 
Africa  her  home.  Miss  Susan  Collins,  also  from  the  Chi- 
cago Training  School,  shows  rare  tact  in  taking  care  of  her 
little  family  of  ten  natives.  Mrs.  Minnie  Mead,  widow 
of  the  late  William  H.  Mead,  with  her  four  children, 
are  a  part  of  the  group.  Her  noble  husband  died  at 
Nhangue-a-Pepo,  a  victim  to  overwork  in  the  midst  of 
complicated  and  insurmountable  difficulties.  The  family 
was  alone  at  the  time.  His  own  boys  made  his  coffin  ;  his 
weeping  widow  read  the  burial  service  ;  when  the  natives 
were  carrying  the  coffin  to  the  burial  ground  they  became 
dissatisfied  and  put  it  into  the  middle  of  the  path  and 
demanded  more  money,  which  had  to  be  paid  befoi-e  they 
would   proceed.      I  felt  as  I  sat   before  the  company  that   I 


566  The  Flaming  Torch 

was  on  holy  ground,  and  thanked  God  I  had  been  permitted 
to  come  to  them  and  share  with  them  the  responsibilities  of 
their  difficult  work  and  be  instrumental,  to  some  extent  at 
least,  in  putting  them  and  the  work  they  represented  into 
the  heart  and  on  the  conscience  of  the  Church. 

"  Nearly  all  the  adults  have  mastered  both  the  Portuguese 
and  Kimbundu  languages.  They  have  nearly  fifty  hymns 
translated  into  these  languages. 

"The  Sabbath  was  a  blessed  day  indeed.  After  the 
morning  sermon  I  ordained  Brother  Herbert  C.  Withey, 
deacon;  in  the  afternoon  the  services  were  held  in  the 
native  church,  which  was  filled.  The  first  service  was  the 
ordination  of  Brother  Withey  as  an  elder,  and  was  to  all 
present  a  profoundly  solemn  occasion.  Then  followed  my 
first  sermon  to  a  native  heathen  congregation.  I  had  looked 
forward  to  such  an  occasion  with  the  greatest  interest. 
Brother  Withey,  whom  I  had  just  ordained,  was  my  inter- 
preter. It  was  a  gracious  season  to  my  own  soul,  and  from 
the  attention  given  by  the  audience  we  all  felt  that  the 
Lord  was  present  and  directed  in  the  line  of  thought  and  in 
its  presentation.  One  native  woman,  pointing  toward  me, 
said  to  one  of  the  missionaries,  '  There  is  a  whole  man.' 
She  evidently  meant  it  as  a  compliment,  and  I  only  wish 
that  it  was  true. 

"  The  Conference  session  occupied  seven  days.  We  tried 
to  consider  everything  in  relation  to  properties,  stations, 
building  methods,  building  outfits,  home  life  of  the  mission- 
aries, native  village  and  home  life,  and  how  to  put  practical 
Christianity  into  them,  the  character  and  qualifications  of 
the  workers  we  had,  and  how  many  more  of  the  right  sort 
we  ought  to  have.  Conference  studies,  Sunday  school  work, 
missionary  collections,  self-support,  how  much  there  has 
been  done  during  the  past  twelve  years,  and  just  how  far 
secular  matters  should  enter  into  missionary  work  and  life. 
One  conclusion  was  reached,  that  there  must  be  concentra- 
tion on  a  few  centers.  It  was  thought  best  to  transfer  the 
remnant  of  missionaries,  as  far  as  might  be  done,  from  the 


In  Darkest  Africa  567 

Congo  to  Angola,  and  concentrate  for  the  present  in  South 
Central  Africa,  in  tlie  establishment  of  a  few  first-class 
stations  which  shall  make  centers  of  real  evangelistic,  educa- 
tional, and  industrial  power,  and  that  these  shall  not  be 
nearer  than  fifty  miles  to  each  other.  From  these  stations 
substations  can  be  organized  in  native  villages.  The  upper 
Congo,  by  way  of  the  Kassai,  can  be  reached  from  Malange 
by  shorter  distance  than  from  the  mouth  of  the  river. 

"  The  work  was  arranged  so  as  to  utilize  the  forces  we 
have  to  the  best  advantage,  and  we  adjourned  Conference 
with  our  faces  toward  the  future,  our  hearts  open  to  God, 
and  our  faith  resting  in  the  great  Church  back  of  us,  that  in 
due  time  many  more  workers  consecrated  to  God  would 
come,  and  that  the  beginnings  of  success  which  the  past 
twelve  }'ears  have  achieved  will  multiply  into  permanent 
and  large  developments  for  Christ. 

"  Livingstone  made  his  first  journey  across  the  continent 
from  the  Zambesi  on  the  east  to  Loanda  on  the  west,  and  back 
again,  in  1854.  His  pathway  took  him  within  a  few  rods 
of  where  our  Conference  met,  and  it  was  my  high  privi- 
lege to  follow  the  paths  where  he  walked  for  hundreds  of 
miles.  At  Pungo  Andongo  he  climbed  to  the  summit  of 
one  of  the  largest  rocks,  under  the  shade  of  which  is  our 
mission  property,  and  was  charmed  with  the  country  which 
he  saw.  In  the  diary  of  his  trip  he  uttered  the  prayer  that 
the  Church  might  have  some  fruit  in  this  field  also.  The 
answer  to  that  prayer  has  been  begun." 


568 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  LII 

My  Latest  Evangelistic  Tour 

UST  as  the  good  ship  VVilcannia  cast 
anchor  in  beautiful  Table  Bay,  and 
I  saw  once  more  the  silvery-leaved 
sides  and  level  crest  of  Table  Moun- 
tain spread  with  the  cloth  of  snowy 
cloud  glistening  in  the  sunlight, 
glad  shouts  of  welcome  rang  out 
from  loving  voices.  Thirty-one 
years  had  passed  since  I  voyaged 
here  from  Australia,  and  there  were 
still  those  \\A\o  remembered  with 
gladness  the  great  spiritual  victories 
that  attended  that  visit.  And  truly 
those  were  marvelous  times,  days  of  pentecostal  power  when 
the  Spirit  of  God  was  poured  out  upon  the  people  and  shook 
the  centers  of  heathenism.  Its  manifestations  began  soon 
after  my  arrival,  and  twelve  hundred  souls  were  converted 
among  the  English-speaking  colonists.  This  was  followed 
by  seven  months'  campaign  among  the  natives  of  Natal  and 
Kaffraria,  and  the  missionaries  enrolled  over  seven  thousand 
converts  from  heathenism. 

I  was  anxious  to  reenter  this  field  of  Gospel  service  as 
quickly  as  possible,  but  the  missionaries  at  Cape  Town, 
seconded  by  strong  appeals  from  Johannesburg,  urged  me 
to  commence  the  work  with  a  {&\\  weeks'  special  services 
among  the  English-speaking  populations  of  the  mining  dis- 
tricts. On  the  day  that  I  secured  my  gripsack  from  the 
steamer  I  took  the  evening  train  for  Johannesburg,  over  a 
thousand  miles  distant.  We  crossed  the  most  picturesque 
part  of  the  country  during  the  night,  and  awakened  on  the 
almost  boundless  and  desert  plateau  over  which  the  journey 


\  r  pff     1    !»£.  iL     // " 


4  I       m.j^^^    '  fi^ 


l^^ 


In  Darkest  Africa  571 

of  the  day  is  made.  Puffing  up  the  incHnes  and  fl)'ing  down 
the  slopes,  the  occasional  glimpse  I  caught  of  the  engine 
reminded  me  of  my  trip  across  the  Isthmus  of  Panama, 
nearly  half  a  century  before.  We  were  returning  from  Cali- 
fornia, where  there  were  no  railway  trains  in  those  days, 
and  as  the  train  whirled  along  through  the  open  country 
my  Charlie  said,  "  Pa,  where  is  the  horse?"  "  Wait  a  little 
while,  Charlie,  and  I  will  show  him  to  you."  On  the  next 
curve  I  pointed  out  the  puffing,  snorting  monster,  and  with 
wide-eyed  amazement  the  lad  inquired,  "  Where  did  they 
get  him,  pa  ?  " 

This  desert,  called  Karroo,  over  which  we  are  passing  at 
an  average  rate  of  twenty  miles  an  hour,  is  strewn  all  over 
with  brownish  or  greenish  pebbles,  stones,  and  fragments  of 
rocks,  with  here  and  there  a  tuft  of  shriveled  shrubs,  very 
much  like  the  valley  of  the  Jordan  near  the  Dead  Sea.  In 
the  evening  we  passed  Beaufort  West,  a  small  town  shaded 
with  eucalyptus  trees.  This  forest  tree  is  indigenous  to 
Australia,  and  makes  a  very  rapid  and  beautiful  growth.  On 
its  native  soil  it  sometimes  attains  a  height  of  four  hundred 
feet,  and  as  the  wood  is  very  hard  and  will  not  be  touched 
by  the  destructive  teredo  it  is  used  in  making  docks  and 
building  ships.  On  my  last  visit  to  Australia  I  secured  some 
of  the  seeds  and  sent  them  to  California,  where  the  tree  was 
previously  unknown.  It  proved  to  be  so  productive  that 
fifteen  years  later  I  found  extensive  forests  in  different  por- 
tions of  the  entire  length  of  the  State,  all  of  which  had 
sprung  from  that  handful  of  seed. 

On  the  second  morning  we  crossed  the  Orange  River,  nar- 
rowed into  a  small  stream  on  account  of  the  dry  season. 
This  accounts  also  for  the  absence  of  fertility  in  the  Orange 
Free  State.  Here  we  see  cattle,  horses,  and  sheep,  in 
charge  of  native  herdsmen  on  horseback  draped  in  long 
red  mantles  and  sheltered  by  wide-brimmed  felt  hats. 
Decidedly  African,  too,  are  the  thousands  of  white  ant- 
hills, dotted  like  tents  of  a  camp  over  the  boundless 
piams,  which   is  Ircqucntly  relieved  along  the  horizon  by  a 


572  The  Flaming  Torch 

mirage  that  gives  the  illusion  of  shady  rivers  or  a  hazy  blue 
ocean  stretching  over  the  vast  expanse. 

In  the  afternoon  of  this  day  we  reached  Bloemfontein, 
the  capital  of  the  Orange  Free  State,  which  was  like  a  re- 
freshing oasis  in  the  midst  of  an  arid  steppe.  Another  night 
in  the  railway  carriage,  and  we  approach  the  Witswatersrand 
district,  about  six  thousand  feet  above  sea  level,  on  the 
watershed  between  the  Orange  and  Limpopo  basins.  Here 
is  the  dividing  line  of  the  waters,  which  speed  away  for  their 
homes  in  the  Atlantic  and  Indian  Oceans.    It  is  not  a  moun- 


Rev.  William  Flint  Rev.   James  Thompson 

Editor  South  African  Churchman  President  of  W'esleyan  Conference 

tainous  country,  but  the  top  of  a  gradual  slope  which  we 
have  been  climbing  from  the  sea.  This  greatest  gold  mining 
district  of  the  world  has  on  its  surface  few  indications  of  its 
vast  operations.  As  the  train  passes  one  mine  after  another 
all  that  is  seen  is  a  few  inferior  structures  shining  in  the  sun, 
some  scaffolds  and  huge  piles  of  debris  at  the  dumps.  The 
red  dust  of  the  light  soil,  raised  into  clouds  by  the  strong 
winds,  has  given  the  few  buildings  and  their  surroundings 
a  rusty  color. 

We  were  due  in  Johannesburg  late  Saturday  night,  but 
did  not  arrive  until  three  o'clock  Sabbath  afternoon,  and  I 
preached  the   same  evening  to  a  large  congregation.     The 


In  Darkest  Africa 


573 


village  of  tents  often  years  ago  has  become  a  city  with  a  pop- 
ulation of  one  hundred  and  sixty-two  thousand.  It  is  located 
between  the  hill  of  Witswatersrand  on  the  north  and  a  line 
of  gold  mines  on  the  south,  occupying  a  space  of  four  miles 
long  and  one  and  a  half  miles  broad.  There  are  some  beau- 
tiful and  substantial  squares  near  the  center,  but  for  the 
most  part  the  houses  are  constructed  of  corrugated  iron. 
The  abodes  of  the  large  native  population  are  curiously 
combined  of  timber,  iron,  stone,  and  brick.  This  was  a  bar- 
ren spot  when  the  mining  camp  took  possession  of  it,  but 
the  English  miners  planted  eucalyptus  and  weeping  willow, 
which  now  afford  shade  from  the  hot  sun  and  rest  to  the 
eye,  and  have  completely  transformed  the  scene. 

The  cosmopolitan    population    is   in   general   engaged  in 


Railway  Station  in  the  Karroo 

the  wild  rush  for  gold,  but  Christian  work  was  early  com- 
menced, and  there  are  a  number  of  substantial  churches, 
six  being  under  construction  at  the  time  of  my  visit. 

From  Johannesburg  I  went  by  rail  to  the  capital  of  the 
Transvaal  Republic,  Pretoria,  which  is  a  beautiful  town, 
with  comfortable  cottages,  clean  streets  shaded  by  tall 
trees  and  lined  with  rivulets. 

The  presidential  mansion  of  this  republic  is  an  unpreten- 
tious cottage  on  a  quiet  street,  where  the  president  himself 
can  be  seen  seated  on  the  veranda  smoking  his  pipe,  while 
an  artilleryman  stands  guard  at  the  gate.  "  Oom  Paul,"  as 
the  people  fondly  call  their  president,  speaks  English  well, 
and  is  a  plain  Christian  man,  who  has  family  prayers  every 


574 


The  Flaming  Torch 


morning  at  six  o'clock,  and  preaches  a  good  sermon  to  his 
people  every  Sabbath.  During  the  week  he  rises  at  daybreak, 
and  after  worship  is  ready  to  receive  callers,  who  are  indeed 
numerous,  as  matters  which  in  other  countries  are  referred 
to  heads  of  departments  here  have  the  personal  attention 
of  the  chief  executive  of  the  Transvaal,  who  is  the  busiest 
man  in  all  South  Africa,  except  Hon.  Cecil  Rhodes. 


Bloemfontein,  Capital  of  Orange  Free  State 

He  received  me  cordially,  and  I  presented  him  with  a 
copy  of  my  book,  Story  of  My  Life. 

Pretoria  has  a  population  of  probably  ten  thousand  Afri- 
canders and  Europeans  besides  the  Asiatics  and  natives. 
There  are  churches  of  nearly  all  denominations,  and  there  is 
a  good  work  in  progress  among  the  natives. 

I  visited  the  Senate  chamber  in  company  with  one  of 
the  pastors,  President  Kruger  in  the  chair.  There  were 
twenty-five  members  present,  three  of  them  lawyers,  three 
engineers,  one  superintendent  of  public   works,  the  remain- 


In  Darkest  Africa 


575 


der  farmers,  all  fine  specimens  of  the  Dutch  Boer.  The 
capitol  is  a  handsome  three-story  structure,  with  a  frontage 
of  two  hundred  and  forty  feet,  a  depth  of  one  hundred  and 
ninety-two  feet,  and  is  reported  to  have  cost  $720,000. 

The  evening  I  preached  in  the  chapel  of  the  South  Africa 
General  Mission  twenty  blacks  came  forward  to  the  altar 
as  seekers  of  salvation,  but  just  then  the  curfew  sounded, 
and  my  black  penitents  went  scampering  homeward.  The 
law  requires  every  native  to  be  at  home  by  half  past  eight 
o'clock.      Hard  lines  for  the  former  masters  of  the  soil! 


Pretoria,  Capital  of  the  Transvaal 

A  little  more  than  a  day's  journey  by  rail  from  Pretoria 
brought  me  to  Oueenstown,  where  I  was  cordially  received 
by  my  old  friend,  Rev.  Robert  Lamplough.  I  found  that 
this  veteran  missionary  still  believed  in  my  effectiveness, 
for  he  had  planned  revival  meetings  in  fifteen  circuits  and 
twenty-two  other  fields  be}'ond. 

After  a  few  introductory  services  in  the  English-speaking 
congregations  we  had  the  beginning  of  the  work  of  salva- 
tion among  the  native  population  of  this  town  in  South  Af- 
rica. My  interpreter,  Mdolomba,  had  been  converted 
thirty  years  before  during  my  series  of  meetings  at  Heald- 
town.  He  was,  therefore,  in  perfect  sympathy  with  my 
manner  of  conducting  a   meeting,   and  was  a   preacher  of 


576 


The  Flaming  Torch 


great  power  and  effectiveness.  In  the  few  services  we  held 
in  Queenstown  over  fifty  natives  came  forward  as  seekers 
of  pardon,  and  their  testimonies  were  marvelously  clear  and 
original,  as  is  usual  in  our  native  work. 

We  commenced  the  campaign  of  the  fifteen  native  cir- 
cuits with  Lesleyton,  where  a  two-days'  meeting  resulted 
in  many  seekers  coming  forward  and  the  continuance  of  a 
successful   m.eeting  after  my  departure.     The    next   point 


A  Breakdown  on  the  Road 


was  Khamastone,  wdiere  I  preached  the  first  sermon  at 
eleven  o'clock  one  morning  after  a  drive  of  thirty  miles  in 
a  cart  from  Queenstown.  The  native  congregation  crowded 
into  the  same  chapel  in  which  I  had  preached  to  some  of 
them  thirty  years  before.  It  seats  six  hundred  persons, 
w^as  nearly  full  at  the  first  service,  and  there  were  thirty 
seekers  at  the  first  call,  eight  or  ten  of  whom  professed  to 
find  pardon.  All  of  the  services  are  of  necessity  held  here 
in  the  daytime.  I  preached  again  on  Sabbath  morning, 
this  time  in  the  open  air,  as  the  crowds  could  not  be  accom- 
modated in  the  chapel.  At  this  meeting  and  the  one  held 
at  three  o'clock,  also  in  the  bright  sunshine,  when  the  ther- 


In  Darkest  Africa 


577 


mometcr  registered  ninety-two  in  the  shade,  over  a  hundred 
penitents  knelt  on  the  grass,  about  a  third  of  whom  pro- 
fessed to  have  found  the  Saviour.  I  preached  in  the 
chapel  again  the  same  day,  when  fully  as  many  natives 
earnestly  sought  salvation.  It  was  a  day  of  marvelous  Gos- 
pel success;  in  fact,  I  do  not  recall  any  greater  in  my  life- 
time. The  effect  of  the  divine  message  on  the  native  mind 
and  heart  and  the  tiansformations  accomplished  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  were  clearly  shown  in  the  wonderful  testimony 
of  a  devil  doctor  who  was  saved  in  one  of  these  meetings. 
He  had  long  deluded  the 
heathen  people  by  his  artful 
practices,  and  seemed  wholly 
given  up  to  the  one  whose 
name  he  bore.  Attracted 
by  the  singing  and  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  great  crowd, 
he  soon  became  an  inter- 
ested auditor.  His  queer 
attire  presented  a  most  gro- 
tesque appearance  among 
the  well-dressed  native  Chris- 
tians and  many  red-blanket- 
ed heathen.  He  v>as  parti}' 
dressed  in  the  skins  of  wild 
animals,  which  did  not  en- 
tirely conceal  the  red  paint 
with  which  he  was  daubed, 
weighted   with   charms    and 


Interpreter  Mdolomba 


His  ankles  and  wrists  were 
amulets,  and  witch  medicine 
dangled  from  his  rough  girdle,  A  headdress  of  feathers 
completed  his  outfit.  At  first  he  stood  in  the  outer  circle 
of  onlookers,  but  gradually  drew  nearer  and  joined  the  con- 
gregation sitting  upon  the  ground.  As  the  direct  Gospel 
message  was  delivered  through  the  interpreter  it  struck 
him  with  telling  effect.  He  moved  about  uneasily,  then, 
rushing  forward,  cast  himself  upon  the  ground  among  the 
seekers.  His  penitential  struggle  was  like  that  of  the  one 
37 


578  The  Flaming  Torch 

possessed  of  demons  at  Gadara.  At  last  he  was  enabled 
to  make  a  full  surrender  and  receive  Him  whogiveth  power 
to  become  the  sons  of  God.  As  he  arose  to  his  feet  to  tes- 
tify to  the  facts  in  the  case  the  transformation  that  had 
taken  place  in  his  heart  was  reflected  in  the  brightness  of 
his  countenance.  The  drift  of  his  remarks  was  translated 
to  me  by  the  interpreter  while  he  spoke.  For  years  he  had 
felt  that  he  was  under  the  demoniacal  power  and  was  wholly 
given  up  to  obey  its  behests.  As  he  sat  upon  the  ground 
in  the  audience  for  the  first  time  he  had  a  view  of  his  inner 
self,  and  saw  there  a  serpent  coiled  up  as  if  asleep.  As  the 
preaching  proceeded  the  serpent  gradually  uncoiled  and 
thrust  forth  its  ugly  head  as  if  for  combat.  When  almost 
overcome  the  devil  doctor  had  a  vision  of  an  approaching 
pillar  of  light,  and. when  it  drew  near  he  saw  the  form  of 
the  Son  of  God,  to  whom  he  cried  for  help.  As  the  hand 
of  the  Redeemer  was  stretched  forth  to  save,  the  serpent 
was  cast  out,  and  his  heart  was  filled  with  light  and  peace. 
What  a  contrast  to  his  former  self  was  presented  as  he  sat 
among  the  Christians  voluntarily  stripped  of  the  emblems 
of  his  priesthood  to  the  devil! 

During  this  my  latest  evangelistic  campaign  a  number  of 
mission  stations  were  graciously  visited  with  seasons  of 
salvation  and  spiritual  upbuilding.  A  few  illustrative  facts, 
however,  will  suffice  to  accomplish  the  purpose  of  this  chap- 
ter. As  it  will  convey  some  idea  of  the  progress  of  the 
mission  work  I  will  quote  a  few  facts  from  the  pen  of  Rev. 
Theodore  Robert  Curnick,  in  charge  of  Butterworth  Circuit : 

"  Butterworth  is  one  of  the  oldest  mission  stations  in 
Kaffraria.  Thrice  destroyed  by  savage  chiefs  in  Zulu  wars, 
the  devoted  soldiers  of  the  cross  each  time  returned  and 
planted  Christ's  banner  here.  When  William  Taylor  arrived 
here  thirty-five  years  ago,  soon  after  the  Fingoes  were  set- 
tled in  the  land,  he  found  that  the  method  of  work  was 
centralization,  or  the  maintenance  of  work  on  a  central 
station  to  which  all  converts  would  repair,  and  he  intro- 
duced a  system  o{  expansion,  the  spreading  of  the  work  by 


In  Darkest  Africa  581 

the  utilization  of  converts  in  their  respective  locations.  This 
feature  has  proved  the  glory  of  Methodism  in  South  Africa, 
and  has  done  untold  service  in  the  spreading  of  the  Re- 
deemer's kingdom.  This  circuit  is  an  illustration  of  its 
practical  results,  and  is  now  only  about  half  what  it  was  two 
years  ago,  when  the  work  was  divided  because  so  great. 
Under  one  English  and  two  native  ministers  we  have  eight 
evangelists,  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  local  preachers,  one 
hundred  and  eighty-eight  class  leaders,  who  have  charge  of 
a  total  church  membership,  including  probationers,  of  over 
thirty-five  hundred.      This  native 

ministry    has    fifty-five    preaching  :    : 

places  accommodating  seven  thou- 
sand five  hundred  people,  with  an 
average  attendance  of  six  thou- 
sand. They  hold  two  hundred 
and  seventy-five  services  each 
week,  besides  the  twenty-two  Sun- 
day schools  and  thirty-two  day 
schools,  and  have  nine  thousand 
adherents.  We  have  also  '  The 
Lamplough  Training  and  Indus- 
trial Institution  for  Girls,'  where 
nearly  three  hundred  native  girls        „      ,      /'     ",  ^    ,,.   .  , 

J  o  Founder  of  Sha7i.'bitry  Mission 

have    already    been    prepared    for 

useful  lives,  and  an  industrial  department  for  boys.  All  are 
members  of  the  Church.  An  interesting  and  instructive 
item  from  our  latest  financial  report  is  the  fact  that  of  the 
income  from  all  sources,  of  fifteen  thousand  dollars,  two 
thirds  is  derived  from  the  native  people. 

"  Although  we  had  been  eagerly  anticipating  Bishop  Tay- 
lor's recent  visit,  and  hoping  that  he  would  eventually  reach 
the  Transki,  his  arrival  was  so  sudden  we  were  not  able  to 
make  known  his  presence  as  generally  as  we  would  have 
desired.  However,  there  was  nothing  to  disappoint  in  the 
huge  congregation  that  assembled  in  the  Ayliff  Memorial 
Church  the  second  Sunday  in  May.      How  different  was  the 


582 


The  Flaming  Torch 


size  and  character  of  the  present  audience  from  the  one  to 
which  Rev.  W.  Taylor  preached  on  the  banks  of  the  Ceg- 
cuana  River  thirty-one  years  ago  !  A  more  attentive  and 
appreciative  congregation  he  could  not  desire,  for  the  peo- 
ple hung  upon  the  forceful  words  that  came  from  the  bishop 
through  the  interpreter ;  and  'tis  no  wonder  that  the  power 
which  seems  to  be,  as  ever,  an  accompanying  element  in  the 
bishop's  service  bowed  the  hearts  of  many  and  brought 
them  to  the  altar  as  seekers  for  peace,  pardon,  purity,  and 
power.      Nor  is  it  strange   that  this  should   have  been  the 


Wesleyan  Church,  Durban,  Natal 

case  during  the  four  following  daily  services,  and  that  at  the 
last  the  feeling  should  have  been  so  intense  and  the  influ- 
ence so  impressive  that  the  vast  crowd  seemed  reluctant  to 
stir  from  the  mercy  seat,  but  continued  in  prayer  and  praise 
for  some  considerable  time.  A  sense  of  awe  and  solemnity 
filled  the  hearts  of  all  in  the  building. 

"  On  the  i6th  of  May  we  proceeded  to  the  Mpukane  Cir- 
cuit, and  the  bishop  conducted  a  three-days'  mission  at 
Tyinira.  Here  also  there  were  many  signs  of  God's  wonder- 
ful readiness  and  willingness  to  save  and  to  bless  men's 
souls. 

"  On  the  30th  he  began  a  series  of  services  at  Fort  Malan, 


In  Darkest  Africa 


583 


Here  the  church  accommodation  was  found  too  limited  for 
the  good-sized  congregation,  so  all  adjourned  to  a  beauti- 
fully sheltered  nook  in  a  forest  close  by.  The  gracious 
work  grew  day  by  day  until  at  our  closing  service  the  power 


A  Pondo  Herdsman 

of  the  Spirit  was  so  mighty  that  fourteen  young  men   came 
forward  as  seekers;  of  these  one  had  a  veritable  tearing  by 
the  devil,  and  it  was  a  cause  for  joy  to  see  the  subdued  face 
of  the  youth  at  the  close  of  a  most  remarkable  service. 
"  There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the   presence   of  God's 


584  The  Flaming  Torch 

messenger  has  resulted  in  much  good  to  our  church.  As 
St.  Paul  wrote  to  the  Romans  so  the  bishop  said  in  effect 
to  those  who  had  been  converted  during  his  former  mission, 
*  I  long  to  see  you,  that  I  may  impart  unto  you  some  spir- 
itual gift,  to  the  end  ye  may  be  established.' 

"The  sight  of  that  venerable  face,  with  its  kind,  genial 
expression,  reminded  us  of  the  beautiful  legend  told  about 
St.  John,  who,  when  aged  and  infirm,  was  borne  by  loving 
hands  to  the  church  at  Ephesus,  and  there,  stretching  out 
his  feeble  hands,  would  say  to  his  beloved  people,  '  Little 
children,  love  one  another.'  " 

The  providential  leadings  under  which  I  went  to  South 
Africa  were  to  my  mind  unmistakable,  and  equally  clear 
were  those  that  indicated  the  time  of  my  return.  The  rin- 
derpest slaughtered  countless  millions  of  cattle  and  blocked 
the  transportation  lines  northward,  preventing  the  farther 
extension  of  the  work  in  that  direction,  while  my  increasing 
hoarseness  prevented  extensive  work  among  the  white  pop- 
ulation. The  preaching  through  interpreters  to  native  con- 
gregations struck  fire  every  time.  The  last  week  of  my 
special  services  was  in  a  wild  but  populous  mountain  re- 
gion, where  in  the  last  four  days  I  preached  nine  times. 
Eighty  natives  professed  conversion,  and  forty  others  were 
seeking  deliverance.  My  last  sermon  in  Africa  was  preached 
in  a  mountain  region  equally  wild,  but  less  populous,  and  at 
its  close  seventy-eight  seekers  went  down  on  their  faces,  and 
nearly  forty  of  them  professed  to  receive  Jesus  and  his  great 
salvation.  These  are  only  average  results,  but  I  mention 
them  as  illustrative  of  a  probable  finish  of  my  unbroken 
term  of  fifty-five  years  of  itinerate  ministry.  Glory  to  God  ! 
I  expect  to  be  admitted  from  the  kingdom  of  grace  to  the 
kingdom  of  glory  on  the  same  conditions  as  the  crucified 
thief,  and  in  God's  own  time. 


Bivieion  of  the  Continent  anb 
jfutuue  2)evelopnient 


CHAPTER  LlII 

Africa's  Partition  and  Promise 

IFFICULT  it  is  to  believe  at  this  day 
that  tlie  plain,  unvarnished  tales  of 
Stanley's  journey  and  discoveries 
were  generally  doubted,  but  such 
was  the  fact,  and  the  dense  fog 
hanging  over  the  center  of  Africa 
seemed  to  communicate  itself  to 
the  brains  of  the  "  stay-at-home  " 
geographers.  They  treated  Stan- 
ley's achievements  with  apparent 
indifference  or  contempt;  which  has  often  been  the  experi- 
ence of  others  who  have  solved  grave  problems  for  the 
benefit  of  mankind.  Only  about  one  tenth  of  Africa  was 
known  at  that  time,  and  many  years  of  toil  and  many  lives 
had  been  the  price  paid  for  the  knowledge  of  that  fraction 
of  the  great  continent. 

Stanley's  experiences  during  his  search  for  Livingstone 
convinced  him  that  many  of  the  stories  of  the  dangers  which 
beset  the  traveler  in  Africa  were  greatly  exaggerated,  and 
that  many  misfortunes  had  arisen  through  recklessness  and 
insufficient  provision  and  protection  for  the  arduous  work. 
The  alacrity  with  which  he  agreed  to  make  his  second  jour- 
ney in  1873  proves  this  conclusively.  In  1874,  during  his 
journey  to  explore  the  unknown  Victoria  Nyanza,  he  was 
convinced    that    Africa   was   misunderstood    and    deserved 


588  The  Flaming  Torch 

thorough  scientific  exploration,  not  of  the  perfunctory  sort 
which  had  accomplished  so  little  in  the  past,  but  the  investi- 
gation of  men  of  the  greatest  intelligence,  backed  by  power 
and  wealth  to  possess  and  develop  this  land  of  superlative 
promise. 

The  idiosyncrasies  of  the  savage  or  the  terrible  difficulties 
of  travel  did  not  prejudice  him  against  the  country,  "  Balm 
succeeded  bane,"  he  cheerfully  records,  "  and  compensated 
me  for  past  sufferings."  After  Mr.  Stanley  had  finished  his 
work  at  the  source  of  the  Nile  he  was  so  favorably  impressed 
with  the  natives  that  he  unhesitatingly  declared  that  "Africa 
should  be  explored  for  its  purely  human  interest,"  apart  from 
every  other  consideration. 

A  divine  hand  seemed  to  guide  this  brave  man  and  speak 
to  him  by  the  voice  of  intuition.  I  firmly  believe  this,  and 
that  it  is  the  keynote  to  the  awakening  of  the  sphinxlike 
continent  after  centuries  of  slumber.  When  he  reached  the 
mighty  Lualaba  in  1876  he  was  fascinated  by  its  magnifi- 
cence. He  knew  that  it  was  an  all-important  waterway  to 
Africa,  but  as  yet  a  mystery  to  the  world.  When  he 
started  on  the  perilous  descent  he  felt  confident  of  success, 
and  when  he  had  surmounted  many  seeming  impossibilities 
for  nine  weary  months  and  reached  the  Atlantic  Ocean, 
eighteen  hundred  miles  from  the  farthest  point  which 
Livingstone  gained,  he  felt  that  he  had  achieved  something 
for  Africa  and  his  fellow-man  the  world  over;  so  he  wrote 
to  the  newspapers  of  his  discovery  and  its  great  importance  : 
"  It  is  bound  to  become  the  grand  highway  of  commerce  to 
central  Africa.  A  word  to  the  wise  is  sufficient."  The 
Avords  were  prophetic,  and  to-day  the  cynics  are  dumb  in- 
deed, for  Stanley's  dream  is  a  thing  of  reality. 

After  he  returned  to  England  in  1S78  he  urged  the  com- 
mercial communities  of  Europe  to  take  possession  before 
it  was  too  late.  To  arouse  the  cynics  of  Europe  to  the 
value  of  Africa  was  not  an  easy  task  ;  but  Stanley,  who  had 
solved  an  impossible  problem  in  Africa,  was  equal  to  it. 
That  divine  consort  was   with  him  even   then,  moving  in 


In  Darkest  Africa 


589 


mysterious  way  wonders  to  perform.  The  king  of  the  Bel- 
gians startled  the  world  by  his  alertness  to  the  reality  of 
Africa's  need  of  resuscitation.  Doubtless  Stanley  could  have 
waited  fifty  years  had  it  not  been  for  King  Leopold's  mag- 
nanimity. The  climate  of  Africa,  in  which  he  thrived,  may 
have  convinced  him  that  he  would  outlive  many  of  the  skep- 
tics who  retarded  his  efforts  on  behalf  of  Africa  at  that  time. 
But  he  had  not  to  wait  half  a  century,  for  the  private  purse  of 


-f^^^' 


A  Portion  of  Ujiji 


^Ai^'kli 


a  king  was  opened  that  he  might  prove  by  practice  that  Afri- 
can lands  were  inhabitable,  their  cannibals  controllable,  and 
lawful  commerce  with  the  natives  possible.  How  courageously 
Stanley  made  his  record  during  the  first  six  years  the  world 
knows  well  by  the  result.  In  1884  the  nations  of  Europe  be- 
gan a  scramble  for  slices  of  Africa.  It  has  been  nothing  else 
but  a  grab  and  scramble,  and  polite  words  would  be  super- 
fluous. At  the  close  of  the  Congo  Conference  in  1885  France, 
Germany,  Italy,  Portugal,and,last  of  all.  Great  Britain,  wanted 
their  share,  and  agreed  to  the  reijulations  laid  down  by  the 


590 


The  Flaming  Torch 


ambassadors.    Since  that  period  the  division  of  one  third  of 
Africa  by  annexation  has  been  as  follows : 


Congo  Free  State 

French  Congo 

Portuguese  Africa 

German  East  Africa  and  Cameroons 

British  Central  Africa,  Zanzibar  and  Pemba, 

Uganda  and  White  Nile,  and  East  Africa.. 

Italian  Somali  and  Galla  lands 

Total 


Square  Miles. 


905,900 
496,290 
810,450 
544.610 

954-540 
277.330 


3,989,120 


Population. 


16,300,000 
8,950,000 
5,140,000 
7,370,000 

9,568,000 
800,000 


5,120,000 


This  area  is  as  large  as  the  whole  of  the  United  States,  in- 
cluding Alaska,  and  two  thirds  of  Mexico. 

The  Congo  Free  State  has  made  rapid  strides  since  1 884  to 
the  present  time.  When  Stanley  left  the  State  three  steamers 
and  three  barges  had  been  launched  on  the  upper  Congo, 
one  large  steamer  was  on  the  way  overland,  and  a  mission 
steamer  was  "on  the  stocks"  at  Stanley  Pool.  Since  the 
railway  along  the  two  hundred  and  thirty  miles  of  rapids  on 
the  lower  Congo  is  now  completed  it  is  not  necessary  to 
convey  everything  destined  for  the  upper  river  on  the  backs 
and  heads  of  porters.  There  are  now  forty-five  steamers  and 
twenty  to  thirty  barges  and  rowboats  made  of  steel  on  the 
upper  Congo.  Of  the  steamers  twenty  belong  to  the  Congo 
Free  State,  four  to  France,  eight  to  the  Belgian  Commer- 
cial Company,  one  to  the  Anglo-Belgian  Company,  four  to 
the  Dutch  Company,  four  to  Protestant  missions,  and  three 
to  Roman  Catholic  missions.  The  importance  of  the  navi- 
gable rivers  above  Stanley  Pool  may  be  understood  when  it 
is  known  that  they  exceed  eight  thousand  miles  in  length. 
Mr.  Stanley  began  urging  the  necessity  for  a  railway  con- 
necting the  upper  with  the  lower  Congo  in  1878,  but  the 
capitalists  he  succeeded  in  interesting  in  the  matter  deemed 
it  best  to  defer  the  organization  of  a  corporation  until  his 
expedition  from  1879  ^o  ^^84  had  more  clearly  demonstrated 
the  nature  of  the  country  over  which  the  rails  were  to  be 


In  Darkest  Africa  591 

laid,  and  the  general  practicability  of  the  scheme.  When 
Stanley  returned  from  that  expedition  he  again  began  the 
agitation  and  finally  succeeded  in  his  efforts,  and  a  charter 
was  drawn  up  and  over  a  million  dollars  were  subscribed. 
Unfortunately  there  was  one  clause  in  the  charter  which 
King  Leopold  would  neither  change  nor  eliminate,  and  which 
the  capitalists  would  not  allow,  consequently  the  company 
was  not  finally  completed,  and  for  a  time  the  project  fell 
through.  The  success  of  the  Emin  relief  expedition,  how- 
ever, revived  interest  in  the  railway  scheme,  and  when  Stan- 
ley again  returned,  in  1890,  a  Belgian  company  was  formed 
and  surveyors  were  sent  out.  The  first  rails  of  the  road 
were  laid  in  1891,  and  it  is  now  about  completed.  The  line 
extends  from  Matadi  on  the  lower  Congo  to  the  port  at 
Stanley  Pool,  and  is  about  two  hundred  and  forty-seven 
miles  in  length.  At  the  piers  at  Matadi  the  ocean  steamers 
discharge  their  freight,  and  at  the  terminus  on  the  Pool  the 
cargoes  are  received  by  the  upper  Congo  steamers.  The 
cost  of  constructing  this  line  was  first  estimated  at  $25,000  a 
mile,  but  the  mileage  cost  of  the  road  has  been  a  little  under 
this  estimate.  The  difficulties  in  some  parts  of  the  road  were 
so  great  that  a  single  mile  cost  $50,000,  but  many  stretches 
of  level  plateaus  were  railed  at  comparatively  slight  expense. 
M.  le  Comte  de  Brazza  was  commissioned  by  the  Inter- 
national Association  to  form  a  line  of  stations  from  the 
Ogowe  River  to  Stanley  Pool,"  but  his  method  differed  from 
mine,"  says  Stanley.  He  took  with  him  a  number  of  French 
officers,  whom  he  distributed  along  the  route,  and  delegating 
to  them  the  task  of  building  he  marched  lightly  to  his  des- 
tination, making  treaties  with  the  natives  as  he  went.  Since 
these  treaties  were  made  on  behalf  of  France  it  was  only 
then  discovered  that  the  International  Association  had  no 
control  over  the  territory  acquired  by  De  Brazza,  and  on 
this  basis  French  Congo  was  founded.  It  has  now  ex- 
panded to  an  area  covering  half  a  million  square  miles  and 
has  become  a  confirmed  possession  of  the  French  by  the 
treaties  with  Germany  and  Congo  Free  State. 


592 


The  Flaming  Torch 


The  white  population  of  the  territory  numbers  to-day  over 
three  hundred,  exclusive  of  the  coast  garrisons.  The  Ga- 
boon portion,  however,  was  settled  as  early  as  1842,  and  in 
1862  the  mouth  of  the  Ogowe  was  occupied  by  the  admin- 
istration. Twenty-seven  stations  are  established  in  the  in- 
terior, eleven  of  which  are  along  the  Ogowe.  The  seat  of 
government  is  at  Brazzaville,  at  Stanley  Pool.  Although 
France  has  not  been  overliberal  toward  her  colony  the  set- 
tlement exhibits  the  aptitude  of  the   French  for   giving  a 

civilized  appearance  to 
whatever  they  touch. 
From  all  accounts  the 
houses  are  better  built 
and  the  gardens  and  ave- 
nues are  finer  than  those 
on  the  Belgian  side,  al- 
though the  practical  re- 
sults are  not  so  favorable. 
The  proximity  of  the 
Congo  Free  State  has 
been  of  great  advantage 
to  Angola,  just  as  Mozam- 
bique has  benefited  by 
having  Nyassaland  for  a 
neighbor.  The  condition 
of  Angola  and  Mozam- 
bique until  the  nineteenth  century  was  deplorable.  High 
protective  duties  stifled  enterprise,  and  it  is  easily  surmised 
that  the  Portuguese  officials  were  very  poorly  paid,  and 
therefore  easily  corrupted.  The  example  of  their  pro- 
gressive neighbors,  however,  has  latterly  improved  matters. 
The  trade  of  Angola  has  doubled  during  the  past  seven  years, 
and  it  is  now  valued  at  $7,650,000.  Mozambique,  north  of 
the  Zambesi,  seven  years  ago  only  showed  a  trade  amount- 
ing to  about  $500,000,  whereas  it  now  has  a  trade  of 
$1,520,000  annually.  Doubtless  this  increase  is  owing  to  the 
enterprise  of  the  British  Lakes  Company. 


Blacksmith  at  Bongandanga 


In  Darkest  Africa  593 

German}'  owns  East  Africa  to-day  by  the  usual  Bismarck- 
ian  methods  of  aggression  and  possession.  The  boundaries 
of  German  Africa  were  arranged  at  the  BerHn  Conterence 
of  1885.  France  could  not  afford  a  conflict  with  her  enemy 
so  soon  after  her  former  humiliations,  and  England  was  con- 
trolled by  Gladstone,  and  it  is  only  surprising  that  the  soldiers 
of  the  Kaiser  have  not  had  a  wider  field  in  Africa.  But  there 
is  ample  time  yet.  Germany  makes  no  pretensions  of  moral 
right,  protection  of  natives,  or  establishment  of  missions,  or 
philanthropy,  and  the  rule  of  the  despot  prevails — might  over 
right.  But  the  news  of  Germany's  aggression  in  Africa, 
sent  to  England  by  Stanley  and  other  explorers,  stirred  the 
Britons  to  the  core,  and  thus  good  came  out  of  evil,  for  it  is 
doubtful  whether  England  would  have  moved  to  acquire  a 
foothold  in  equatorial  Africa  but  for  German}''s  methods. 
Stanley  has  justly  arraigned  Great  Britain  for  her  treatment 
of  Africa  at  this  period.  "  She  had  absolutely  refused  to 
move  in  the  matter  of  the  Congo,"  he  declares ;  "  she  had 
turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the  reproaches  of  her  pioneers  in  East 
Africa;  and  she  had  miserably  equivocated  in  Southwest 
Africa,  although  for  forty-four  years  she  had  patrolled  the 
two  coasts,  had  been  the  protector  of  Zanzibar  for  nearly 
fifty  years,  had  explored  the  interior,  and  had  planted  all  the 
missions  in  equatorial  Africa.  Fortunately,  before  it  was 
too  late,  Lord  Salisbury  was  roused  to  write  a  few  dispatches 
which  saved  for  England  a  small  portion  of  East  Africa,  and 
it  may  be  that  we  are  indebted  for  this  small  mercy  as  much 
to  admiration  of  Germany's  energies  as  to  the  entreaties  of 
Englishmen.  We  ought,  certainly,  to  be  grateful  that  Ger- 
many is  our  neighbor,  for  she  is  likely  to  be  as  stimulative 
in  the  future  as  she  has  been  since  1890.  Indeed,  without 
the   influence   of  her  example  I    doubt    if  England   would 

have  treated  Uganda  any  better  than   Portugal  has  treated 
Angola." 

The    Europeans   in   the  German     East  African    territory 

number  about  one  thousand.     In  the  Tanga  district  there 

arc  151  Germans;  in  the  Kilima-Njaro  district  there  are  26 
;5S 


594  The  Flaming  Torch 

Germans  ;  on  the  shores  of  the  Victoria  Nyanza  i8  Germans  ; 
in  Kilossa  12  Germans  ;  and  there  are  171  German  officials 
in  the  constabulary  force.  There  are  2,000  soldiers,  with  58 
pieces  of  artillery.  A  railway  has  been  laid  from  Tanga  to 
the  interior,  a  distance  of  about  thirty  miles,  and  this  line 
will  doubtless  be  to  the  lakes.  The  principal  port  of  Lake 
Tanganyika  is  Ujiji,  with  a  population  of  20,000,  where 
Stanley  met  Livingstone  in  1871.  Stone  buildings  two 
stories  high  have  now  been  erected  for  the  use  of  the  gov- 
ernment, and  the  place  has  an  aspect  of  importance  and 
civilization,  vastly  different,  I  imagine,  from  what  it  must 
have  appeared  to  Livingstone  and  Stanley.  The  trade  of 
German  East  Africa  is  estimated  at  $2,907,500  annually. 
The  revenue  reaches  the  sum  of  $1,092,500,  while  the  an- 
nual expenditure  is  about  $1,517,450.  The  Cameroons,  also 
German  territory,  which  would  be  properly  included  in 
equatorial  Africa,  has  a  white  population  of  236,  and  an  an- 
nual trade  of  about  $2,419,220. 

The  British  Central  African  Protectorate  has  a  native  pop- 
ulation of  845,000,  and  covers  an  area  of  285,900  square 
miles.  This  Protectorate  has  grown  mainly  from  the  efforts 
of  Scotchmen  who  revere  Livingstone's  memory.  In  the 
year  1856  the  British  government  commissioned  Livingstone 
to  open  up  the  territory  about  Nyassa  Lake  to  commerce. 
At  the  same  time  Bishop  Mackenzie  and  a  number  of  mis- 
sionaries were  sent  out  with  a  view  of  benefiting  by  Liv- 
ingstone's experience.  Unfortunately,  as  I  have  mentioned 
elsewhere  in  this  book,  the  missionaries  had  trouble  with 
the  natives,  and  owing  to  this  and  fatal  fevers  and  other  mis- 
fortunes few  of  them  survived  long.  Li  1881  Bishop 
Steere  went  to  Lake  Nyassa  and  decided  to  reestablish 
the  Universities  Mission  in  Nyassaland.  This  territory' 
was  taken  in  hand  by  the  British  government  in  1891,  with 
an  annual  subsidy  of  $50,000  from  Cecil  Rhodes.  The  ad- 
ministration has  been  under  Sir  Harry  Johnstone,  and  from 
the  reports  and  proofs  of  prosperity  it  is  evident  that 
he    has  been   unusually  successful.     In  Sir   Harry's   book. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


595 


British  Central  Africa,  he  has  given  a  very  interesting  ac- 
count of  the  British  Protectorate  since  it  was  founded. 
There  are  twenty  post  offices  in  this  territory,  through 
which  no  less  than  29,802  letters  and  parcels  have  passed. 
In  1896  5,700  acres  of  land  were  under  cultivation  against 
1,600  acres  in  1891.  In  1896  the  natives  paid  %\  io,000  taxes. 
In  1891  there  was  only  about  one  mile  of  road,  that  between 
the  mission  station  at  Blantyre  and  the  African  Lakes  Com- 


The  Lower  Falls  of  the  Cons 


pany's  store,  over  which  a  vehicle  could  be  driven.  By  the 
end  of  1896  there  were  about  390  miles  of  road  suitable  for 
wheeled  traffic,  while  about  80  miles  of  broad  paths  have  been 
cleared  through  the  brush  for  the  passage  of  porters  and 
"  machillas,"  a  sort  of  hammock  slung  on  poles  and  borne 
by  a  native  at  each  end.  Attempts  have  been  made  to  im- 
prove the  Shire  River  by  removing  the  snags  from  the  ap- 
proaches to  Cheromo  and  the  sharp  stones  from  the  Nsapa 
rapids  on  the  upper  Shire  and  by  deepening  the  bar  on  the 
upper  end  of  Lake   N}assa.     On  this  lake  there  are  five 


596  The  Flaming  Torch 

steamers  and  one  boat,  and  on  upper  Shir6  two  steamers 
and  fifteen  boats,  on  Lake  Tanganyika  one  steamer  and  one 
boat,  on  the  lower  Shire  and  the  Zambesi  there  are  sixteen 
steamers  and  forty-five  boats;  altogether  twenty-four  steamers 
and  sixty-two  steel  boats  or  barges,  the  property  of  the 
British  Protectorate.  Sikh  soldiers  have  been  imported  from 
India,  and  are  a  great  success,  being  impervious  to  the 
climate  and  unaffected  by  the  heat.  There  are  two  hundred 
of  them  and  five  hundred  natives  as  policemen. 

In  the  summer  of  1895  the  British  government  assumed 
the  entire  control  of  the  company's  territory  in  Uganda  at 
an  expenditure  of  only  one  and  a  quarter  millions  annually. 
Since  July,  1896,  the  Uganda  Protectorate  has  embraced  the 
intermediate  country  lying  between  Lakes  Victoria,  Albert 
Edward,  and  Albert,  with  Usoga.  Although  the  produce  and 
goods  had  to  be  transported  by  porters  a  thousand  miles 
overland  the  trade  in  1896  amounted  to  $150,000.  Uganda 
being  the  youngest  and  most  distant  protectorate,  the  com- 
merce is  meager,  but  the  results  exceed  those  from  all  the 
rest  of  equatorial  Africa  when  viewed  from  a  moral  and 
Christian  standpoint.  When  Uganda  is  connected  by  rail- 
way with  civilization  there  will  be  great  development  of 
trade;  and  Uganda,  judging  by  the  intelligence  and  tracta- 
bility  of  the  people,  may  become,  as  Stanley  puts  it,  "  the 
Japan  of  Africa." 

I  am  afraid  that  the  two  hundred  thousand  square  miles 
controlled  by  the  Italian  government  in  equatorial  Africa 
may  yet  cause  that  government  much  concern.  Italy  cannot 
afford  to  develop  the  land,  and  past  experience  demonstrates 
that  she  is  not  able  to  defend  it.  The  hoisting  of  a  flag, 
with  a  few  soldiers  to  guard  it,  does  not  constitute  owner- 
ship, according  to  the  Berlin  Conference  ;  but  the  claimant 
must  protect  and  develop  the  countr\'. 

The  following  tabular  summary  (from  Mr.  Stanley)  shows 
very  clearly  the  difference  between  the  tropical  Africa  of 
1872-77 — in  which  Livingstone,  Cameron,  and  Stanley  were 
the   only  white  visitors,  and  with  neither  mission,  school, 


In  Darkest  Africa 


597 


church,   nor  trade — and   the   equatorial  Africa   of   January, 
1897: 


Name  of  State  ou 
Territokv. 

White       ?i 
Popu-      |g 
lation.       "  g 

Missions, 
Schools, 
Churches. 

Christian 
Converts. 

Value  of  Trade. 

Revenues,  in- 
cluding Sub- 
sidies. 

Uganda  rrotectoiale. .  .  . 

British  East  Africa 

British  Central  Africa.  .  . 

Congo  Free  Stale 

Frencli  Congo 

(lerman  East  Africa 

German  Cameroon.s 

68,      ... 

go       68 

28g      . . . 

1.500      165 

" 1,300 

37S'       30 
236      ... 

372 
6 

55 
67 
25 
15 

5 

97:575 

600 

5,000 

10,000 

2,500 

2,500 

goo 

$142,000 
1,094,000 
611,480 
6,226,302 
2,261,414 
2,907,500 
2,419,220 

*250,000 

86,000 

100,000 

1,873,860 

618, log 

I,og2.5oo 

176,705 

Total...". 

2,861      263 

545 

119-075 

$15,661,916 

|4,ig7,i74 

A  quarter  of  a  century  ago  Africa  was  very  Httle  understood. 
The  native  and  the  climate  inspired  terror  in  the  pioneer,  but 
since  the  advent  of  Livingstone  and  Stanley  merchants  and 
travelers  generally  may  come  and  go  over  the  once  Dark  Con- 
tinent in  safety.  The  white  man  has  become  more  familiar 
with  the  natives,  and  those  who  have  labored  among  them 
and  with  them  retain  the  kindliest  memories  of  the  Negro 
in  his  native  element.  Those  whose  business  has  located 
them  in  Africa  for  a  few  years  or  permanently  take  occa- 
sional holidays  to  their  native  land,  but  I  have  heard  many 
say  that  they  longed  to  return  to  their  dusky  friends.  This 
feeling  is  common  with  both  officials,  missionaries,  traders, 
and  planters.  Africa  is  a  country  which  grows  upon  them, 
and  they  are  amazed  to  find  that  the  land  so  much  dreaded 
a  few  years  ago  should  have  become  dear  to  them.  The 
word  "  Nigger  "  is  seldom  used  in  Africa.  When  it  is 
used  it  is  by  some  one  newly  arrived  in  the  country. 
The  whites  who  have  labored  hard  to  master  the  dia- 
lects and  languages  of  the  natives  and  to  understand  his 
nature  are  well  repaid.  They  know  that  the  native  who  can, 
untaught,  fashion  a  canoe  or  sword  or  assegai,  maybe  taught 
to  mold  bricks,  or  use  a  lathe,  or  build  a  wall,  and  in  a 
thousand  ways  become  a  valuable  workman.  There  are 
seven  thousand  two  hundred   native  navvies  on  the  Conq;o 


598  The  Flaming  Torch 

railway,  and  the  stone  piers  and  steel  structures  which  bridge 
the  ravines  and  rivers  have  been  made  by  the  native  African. 

The  comparisons  which  Mr,  Stanley  has  made  between 
central  Africa  of  to-day  and  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago  may 
be  startling  to  the  American  reader,  but  since  I  know  the 
country  well,  both  past  and  present,  I  can  vouch  for  their 
truth.  "Twenty-five  years  ago,"  he  says,  "the  explorer 
might  land  on  any  part  of  east  or  west  equatorial  Africa 
unquestioned  by  any  officials  as  to  whither  he  was  bound  or 
what  baggage  he  possessed.  To-day  at  every  port  there  are 
commodious  customhouses  where  he  must  declare  the  na- 
ture of  his  belongings,  pay  duties,  and  obtain  permits  for 
traveling.  In  1872  the  whole  of  central  Africa,  from  one 
ocean  to  the  other,  was  a  mere  continental  slave  park,  where 
the  Arab  slave  raider  and  Portuguese  half-caste  roamed  at 
will  and  culled  the  choicest  boys  and  girls,  and  youths  of 
both  sexes,  to  be  driven  in  herds  to  the  slave  marts  of  Angola 
and  Zanzibar.  To-day  the  only  Arabs  in  central  Africa,  ex- 
cepting some  solitary  traders  who  observed  the  approach  of 
civilization  in  time,  are  convicts,  sentenced  to  hard  labor  for 
their  cruel  devastations.  Twenty-five  years  ago,"  con- 
tinues the  explorer,  "it  took  me  eight  months  to  reach 
Ujiji  from  the  coast,  whereas  now  it  takes  a  caravan  only 
three  months.  Up  to  four  years  ago  it  required  five  months 
to  reach  Uganda  from  the  coast,  but  to-day  loaded  porters 
do  the  journey  in  less  than  ninety  days,  while  bicyclists  have 
performed  it  in  twenty-one  days.  Fourteen  years  ago  the 
voyage  from  Stanley  Pool  to  Stanley  Falls  was  made  by  me 
in  the  first  steamer  that  was  floated  in  upper  Congo  in  three 
hundred  and  seventy-nine  hours.  Now  steamers  accomplish 
the  distance  in  one  hundred  and  twenty  hours.  In  1882-83 
I  was  forty-six  days  going  from  Europe  to  Stanley  Pool. 
The  ordinary  passenger  in  these  times  requires  but  twenty- 
five  days  ;  two  years  hence  the  trip  will  take  only  twenty 
days." 

How  melancholy  the  record  of  early  explorations,  to 
which  I  have  devoted  many  pages  of  this  book  on  account 


In  Darkest  Africa 


599 


of  their  wonderful  interest  and  heroism,  seem  when  we  make 
a  close  comparison  of  results  with  the  record  of  these  last 
twenty-five  years  of  explorations  !  Africa  appears  to  have 
been  a  vast  field  for  adventure  and  some  individual  fame  at 
home.  The  nineteenth  centur}-,  so  fai',  is  the  most  impor- 
tant in  the  world's  history,  and  I  can  onl}^  marvel  in  dumb 
astonishment  at  the  seemin<^  impossibilities  which  have  been 
overcome  as  its  years  have  rolled  by,  and  wonder  what  the 
next  century  will  bring  forth.  The  dawn  of  day  in  the 
dark  land  has  realized 
my  highest  hopes  for  my  , 
dark-skinned  brothers  and 
sisters  there,  and  my  cup 
of  joy  runs  over  as  I  view 
the  prospect  of  the  salva- 
tion of  all  the  tribes  of 
Africa  with  the  certainty 
of  their  ultimate  civiliza- 
tion. We  may  yet  have 
native  African  teachers 
and  preachers  in  the 
Whitechapels  and  Bow- 
erys  of  our  great  cosmo- 
politan cities.  Missiona-  t 
ries  are  needed  there 
truly, but  the  present  need 
in  Africa  is  ten  thousand  times  greater.  These  millions  have 
been  for  ages  lost  in  a  moral  darkness  so  dense  that  only 
God's  own  search  light  could  penetrate  it ;  and  again,  the 
ravages  of  the  Arab  thief  of  these  poor  people  is  sufficient, 
when  understood,  to  touch  the  heart  of  the  civilized  world. 
The  mystery  is,  that  God  permitted  this  terrible  thing  to  go 
so  far.  But  he  called  a  halt  when  he  sent  Livingstone  and 
Stanley  there,  as  the  forerunners  of  the  missionaries  who  are 
bearing  the  light  of  truth  through  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  land. 

If  we  estimate  the  public  murders  of  equatorial  Africa  at 


M'wanga  Abroad 


600  The  Flaming  Torch 

two  millions  a  year  up  to  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago  we 
cannot  be  very  far  wrong.  Every  village  witnessed  on  the 
average  once  a  month  one  kind  of  a  tragedy  or  another, 
always  the  result  of  superstition  or  witchcraft.  The  death 
of  a  chief,  the  outbreak  of  a  pest,  the  delirium  of  a  debauch, 
the  birth  of  twins,  a  lightning  stroke,  a  bad  dream,  the 
acquisition  of  property,  a  flood,  or  a  thousand  other  things, 
and  the  witch  doctor  or  medicine  men  proclaimed  that 
expiation  was  necessary,  and  some  trembling  victims  were 
soon  dragged  to  their  doom.  Then  again,  there  were  the 
tribal  wars.  Small  causes  often  led  one  tribe  to  attack 
another,  and  the  slaughter  on  both  sides  was  at  all  times 
appalling,  followed  by  the  customary  sanguinary  method  of 
dispatching  prisoners.  The  wholesale  extermination  under 
such  chiefs  as  Mtesa,  Kabbu  Rega,  Merambo,  Nyungu, 
Msiri,  and  the  destructive  raids  of  Said  bin  Habebm  Taga- 
moyo,  Tippu  Tib,  Abed  Salim,  Kilongu-Longa,  and  many 
others,  point  these  men  out  as  monsters  in  human  form. 
It  would  be  wrong  to  say  that  these  murders  have  ended 
entirely  in  equatorial  Africa,  or  even  in  the  British  Protect- 
orate, but  when  we  consider  that  five  hundred  and  forty 
missions,  schools,  and  churches,  and  as  many  military  forts, 
are  spread  across  the  continent,  aided  by  the  cruisers  on  the 
great  lakes  and  the  steam  flotillas  on  the  Congo,  we  can 
conclude  that  the  native  despots  and  Arab  raiders  and  the 
murderous  witch  doctor  have  met  their  Nemesis.  And  the 
"cleansing  light  of  civilization"  will  soon  sweep  right  into 
the  far  interior  and  protect  the  innocent  and  helpless  from 
the  fiends  in  human  form,  and  share  with  them  the  benefits 
the  white  man  enjoys. 

The  division  of  Africa  commenced  in  reality  with  the 
Berlin  Conference  in  1884,  ^^^^  the  delimitations  marked  out 
at  that  time  will  have  much  to  do  with  the  history  of  the 
Dark  Continent  for  a  century  to  come. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


601 


CHAPTER  LIV 

Du  Ravenstein^s  Political  Division  of  Africa  in  J  893 

^gOr-'N  1893  Dr.  Ravcnstein,  a  celebrated  statistician,  gave  to 
^  1^  the  world  the  following  details  as  the  correct  political 
9<ss^*     division  of  Africa  to  that  time: 


British  Africa  : 

British  Guinea:  Gambia 

Sierra  Leone 

Gold  Coast 

Lagos  and  Yoruba, 

Niiier  Territories  and  Oil  Rivers. 


British    South    Africa:    Cape    Colony  (with 

Pondoland  and  Walfish  Bay) 

Basutoland 

Natal 

Zulu  and  Tonga  Lands 

British  Bechuanaland 

Matebele.Mashona,  and  Nyassa  Lands,  etc. 
Bechuanaland  Protectorate 


British    East    Africa:     Zanzibar    (Protector- 
ate with  Northern  Ports) 

Ibea  to  6°  north  latitude 

Rest  to  Egyptian  Frontier 

Northern  Somali  Coast. ...    

Socotra 


Mauritius  and  Dependencies 

St.  Helena,  Ascension,  and  Tristan  d'Acunha 


Total  British  Africa. 


French  Africa  :  Tunis. 

Algeria 

Sahara  


Gold  and  Benin  Coasts. 


French  Congo  and  Gaboon. . . . 
Tajura  Bay  (Obok  and  Sibati) , 


Square  Miles. 

Population. 

2,700 

50, 000 

15,000 

275.000 

46,600 

1,905,000 

21,100 

3,000,000 

269,500 

17,500,000 

354,900 

22,730,000 

225.940 

1,728,000 

10,300 

219,000 

20,460 

544,000 

9.790 

173,000 

71.430 

50,000 

524,000 

1,600,000 

99.500 

80,000 

961,420 

4.394,000 

1,040 

200,000 

468,000 

6,500,000 

745.000 

6,000,000 

40,000 

200,000 

1,380 

10,000 

1.255.420 

12,910,000 

1,030 

393,000 

130 

6.500 

2,572,900 

40,433,500 

44,800 

1,500,000 

257,600 

3,900,000 

1,550,000 

1,100.000 

I     15,000 

-]     50,000 

180.000 

600,000 

r   525,000 

10,000.000 

320,000 

6,000.000 

7,700 

70,000 

602 


The  Flaming  Torch 


French  Africa  (Continued)  : 
Madagascar  and  Dependencies. 

Comoros 

Reunion 


Total  French  Africa. 


Poriti_s;ucse  Africa  :  Portuguese  Guinea. . .  . 

Angola. .    

Moqambique .  . . 

Madei  ra 

Cape  Verd  Islands 

St.  Thome  and  Principe 


Total  Portuguese  Africa. 


Spanish  Africa  :  Tetuan,  etc.,  Morocco. 

Sahara  (Rio  de  Oro,  etc.) 

Canaries 

Gulf  of  Guinea 


Total  Spanish  Africa. 


German  Africa  :  Togoland  (Slave  Coast)  .  . 

Cameroons  (Kamerun) 

Southwest  Africa 

East  Africa  (with  Mafia) | 


Total  German  Africa. 


Jia/ian  Africa :  Eritrea. 

Abyssinia 

Somali,  Galla,  etc 


Total  Italian  Africa. 


Summary  :  British  Africa 

French  Africa 

Portuguese  Africa .  . 

Spanish  Africa 

German  Africa 

Italian  Africa 

Congo  State  (Belgian) 

Boer  Republics,  Swaziland 

Liberia ...    

■  Turkish  (Eg^'pt  and  Tripoli) .  .    

Unappropriated 

Lakes      Tchad,      Victoria,      Tanganyika. 
Nyassa,  etc 

Total  Africa   


Square  Miles. 

Population. 

228,000 

3,520,000 

760 

64,000 

770 

165,000 

3,000,630 

27,099,000 

11,600 

I  50,000 

517,200 

3,500,000 

310,000 

1,500,000 

320 

I  34,000 

1,490 

I  I  1 ,000 

460 

2  1 ,000 

841,070 

5,416,000 

30 

I  6,000 

210,000 

1 00,000 

2.940 

288,000 

800 

33.000 

213.770 

437,000 

1 6,000 

1,150,000 

1 30,000 

2,600,000 

322,000 

I  I  7 ,000 

353.950 

2,C00,000 

821,950 

5.867,000 

52,000 

300  000 

195,000 

4, 500,000 

355,000 

1 ,  500,000 

602,000 

6,300,000 

2,572,900 

40,433,500 

3,000,630 

27,099,000 

841,070 

5,416,000 

213,770 

437,000 

821,950 

5,867,000 

602,000 

6, 300,000 

864,000 

15,600  000 

168,120 

948,000 

37,000 

1 ,000,000 

836,000 

7,980,000 

I  486,710 

23,919,500 

67,850 

I  1.512,000 

135,000,000 

In  Darkest  Africa 


603 


The  famous  explorer  and  authority  on  Africa,  Stanley,  gives 
the  following,  however,  as  the  correct  political  division  in  1898. 


Square  Miles. 

France 3,000,000 

Germany 884,000 

Great  Britain 2,190,000 

Italy 549,000 

Portugal 825,000 

Congo  Free  State..  .  905,000 


Square  Miles. 

Boer  Republics 178,000 

Morocco   I 

Egypt 

,."■1  2,435,000 

.Soudan      |  --i-jj' 

Liberia     J 


This  division,  says  he,"  leaves  about  500,000  square  miles" 
(not  included  in  the  European  political  partition)  "  out  of 
the  11,500,000  said  to  be  the  superficial  area  of  Africa." 

Just  before  going  to  press  I  received  a  statement  of  the 
European  as  well  as  the  native  population  of  South  Africa 
from  Mr.  Frederick  Mason,  of  Durban,  Natal.  This  I  am 
informed  has  been  compiled  from  the  best  available  sources, 
and  is  the  latest  calculation  made. 

South  Africa  Are.a.  and  Population  in  1898. 


Countries. 


I.  BRITISH  COLONIES,  ETC 

Cape  Colony  and  Territories 
Natal  and  Zululand 

Basuloland 

Becliuanaland  I'rotectorate. 
Rhodesia 


II.    DUTCH    STATES. 

Orange  Free  .State 

Transvaal,  or  S.  A.  Republic 


III.I'ORTUGUESETERRITORV, 


IV.   GERMAN    TERRITORY. 


2ii 


277,000 
30,000 


10,500 
386,000 
750,000 

1,453,500 


50,5^0 
122,000 


172,000 


271, OiX 


322,000 


O  ~ 


425,000  1,750,000  2,175,000 


49,000  j 


490,000, 

India  ns 
50,000 
240,000 
700,000 

10,000  1,100,000 


1,000 


589,000 

241,000 
700,000 
,110,000 


4^5,500    4,330,000    4,815,500 


85,000    150,000    235,000 
225,000    650,0001   875,000 


310,000    800,000  1,110,000 


1,000    116,000    117,000 


Estimated 
Estimated 


Popula- 
tion    Un- 
known 

Estimated 


N.  B. — East  and  West  African  Territories. not  included. 


604 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  LV 

Africa:     Present  and  Future 

RITISH  supervision  has  for  sixteen 
years  ministered  to  the  prosperity  of 
Egypt.  Her  revenues  have  increased, 
her  army  has  been  trained  to  a  state 
of  efficiency,  and  her  methods  of  gov- 
ernment have  been  entirely  recon- 
structed and  patterned  after  the  best 
form  known  to  nineteenth  century 
civilization.  She  has  just  regained  her 
lost  provinces  in  the  Soudan  and 
practically  recovered  from  Ismail's 
wretched  rule,  the  revolt  of  Arabi 
Pasha,  and  the  losses  entailed  by  the  revolution  in  the 
Soudan  ;  and  her  future,  as  Stanley  tersely  puts  it,  "  de- 
pends largely  upon  the  state  she  will  be  in  when  England 
retires  from  the  care  and  control  of  her."  England,  how- 
ever, will  not  forget  the  importance  of  her  position  as  the 
guardian  of  the  millions  of  human  beings  in  the  valley  of 
the  Nile.  Even  if  she  does  withdraw  the  British  forces  from 
Egypt  and  the  Soudan  it  will  be  when  she  is  assured  that 
the  superior  training  and  arming  of  the  Egyptian  forces, 
officered  by  Englishmen,  will  not  only  guarantee  the  safety 
of  Egypt,  but  also  of  the  Soudan.  Fortifications  will  shortly 
be  spread  over  the  Soudan  and  railways  will  be  laid  so  that 
merchandise,  troops,  and  travelers  can  readily  be  conveyed 
from  point  to  point.  Agricultural  pursuits  will  be  encour- 
aged, and  the  sun  of  prosperity  will  once  again  shine  over 
the  north,  west,  east,  and  south  of  the  Soudan. 

Experiences  of  forty  years  have  produced  a  lasting  im- 
pression, and  the  thought  of  ever  again  appointing  a  khe- 
dive  despot,  who  will  go  backward  in  his  methods  and  bring 


In  Darkest  Africa 


605 


about  the  old  corrupt  order  of  government,  overriding 
councilors,  vetoing  legislative  enactments,  neglecting  the 
schools,  and  overtaxing  his  people,  is  not  for  a  moment  to 
be  thought  of.  Such  an  appointment  would  foreshadow 
ruin  and  disaster.  But,  thanks  to  England's  protecting  in- 
fluence, this  thing  can  never  be,  and  I  can  see  in  the  future 
an  Egypt,  independent  of  Turkey,  ranking  among  the 
second-class  powers  of  the  world,  governing  in  peacefulness 

the      millions       at 

home    and    in    her 

provinces  regained. 

The     future     of 


Hospital  and  Palace  Hotel,   Buluwayo 


East  Africa  under  Brit- 
ish rule  is  not  without 
promise.  In  1877  mis- 
sionaries sailed  over 
Lake  Victoria  and 
commenced  the  evan- 
gelization of  Uganda 
under  trying  condi- 
tions. I  have  else- 
where referred  to  this  more  fully.  To-day,  however,  mis- 
sionary effort  wears  the  crown  of  success  in  Uganda,  for  no 
less  than  three  thousand  churches  and  one  hundred  thou- 
sand converts  are  scattered  over  the  land,  and  this  is  the 
foundation  of  the  certain  future  evangelization  of  that 
countr}'. 

The  completion  of  the  great  railway  between  Uganda  and 
the  sea  will  facilitate  trade  throughout  the  land  and  save 
enormous  sums,  both  to  the  British  government  and  regu- 
lar merchants,  who  have  hitherto  been  compelled  to  pay 
exorbitant    charges    for    the    transit    of    their    goods    by 


606 


The  Flaming  Torch 


"  bearers "  or  carriers  from  the  coast  inland.  Fifteen  mil- 
lion dollars  were  subscribed  by  England  for  the  develop- 
ment of  that  railway,  and  it  has  been  pushed  along  rapidly 
until  now  almost  two  hundred  miles  are  in  actual  running 

order.  On  Lake  Victoria, 
where  the  terminus  of  this 
railway  will  be,  a  regular 
line  of  steamers  will  sail 
from  port  to  port,  and  ex- 
tensions and  branches  of 
the  railway  will  be  made  so 
that  the  frontiers  may  be 
adequately  protected  and 
the  entire  region  open  to 
trade,  secure  against  inva- 
sion or  disturbance  of  any 
of  the  marauding  tribes 
round  about. 

The  German  military 
government  in  East  Africa, 
the  Cameroons,  Namaqua- 
land,  and  Damara  will  nev- 
er Christianize  the  barbaric 
mind  and  conscience.  Apart 
from  this,  however,  the  na- 
tives themselves  are  de- 
cidedly of  a  lower  type 
than  those  of  British  East 
Africa.  The  tribes  may  be 
"  protected  from  mutual 
slaughter,"  and  "  increase 
and  multiply,"  and  supply 
laborers  for  plantations  and  every  kind  of  operation  where 
mere  labor  with  low  intelligence  is  required,  but  military 
rule  in  Africa  is  a  certain  preventive  against  moral  or 
intellectual  growth.  The  Gold  Coast  to-day  may  be  taken 
as  a  fair  example  of  what  the  German  African  possessions 


In  Darkest  Africa 


607 


will  be  in  years  to  come — great  material  development,  but 
the  native  will  remain  a  raw  barbarian. 

Unfortunately  for  East  Africa  north  of  the  Zambesi,  the 
climate  and  location  will  retard  progress.  I  am  referring 
now  to  what  is  known  generally  as  Portuguese  East  Africa. 
Little  may  be  expected  from  the  Portuguese  government 
for  the  moral  and  intellectual  improvement  of  the  natives. 

South  of  the  Zambesi  River  the  possessions  of  the  Por- 
tuguese are  somewhat  at  the  mercy  of  the  settlers  of  the 
Transvaal  and  Rhodesia,  but  since  the  country  is  generally 
lowland  and  extremely  malarious  the  Portuguese  are  con- 


Madagascar  Queen's  Palace 

vinced  that  neither  the  Boer  nor  British  settlers  are  desirous 
of  invading  their  territory,  and  they  allow  free  access  to  the 
ports  of  Beira  and  Lourenzo  Marquez. 

The  region  of  Nyassaland  and  northern  Charterland  is 
too  far  in  the  interior  to  be  otherwise  than  in  the  mere  dawn 
of  development  at  the  present  time.  Malarial  fever  is  a  cer- 
tain barrier,  and  the  natives  are  far  from  being  intellectual. 
They  are  strong  and  willing  to  labor  and  learn,  however,  and 
in  a  few  years  a  great  change  may  be  expected. 

The  region  of  Lake  Tanganyika  is  growing  in  importance 
owing  to  the  progress  of  the  territories  round  about  it. 
Coffee,  cotton,  sugar,  tea,  and  other  commodities  are  grown 


608 


The  Flaming  Torch 


and  exported,  and  the  revenues    of   Nyassaland    increased 
thereby. 

Portuguese  Angola  is  rich  in  natural  resources  ;  the  soil  of 
the  highlands  yields  abundant  harvests  of  cereals  and  pro- 
vides excellent  grazing,  and  coffee,  tea,  cotton,  and  sugar  are 
grown  in  the  rich  soil  of  the  valleys  with  ordinary  effort. 
Copper  and  tin  ore  are  abundant  and  can  be  readily  mined. 
Thanks  to  French  aggressiveness,  Great  Britain  has  been 
compelled  to  pay  particular  attention  to  her  colony  in  West 

Africa,  which,  includ- 
ing Nigeria,  contains 
over  four  hundred 
and  eighty  thousand 
square  miles,  and  at 
the  present  day  the 
amount  of  trade  is 
estimated  at  $30,000,- 
000  annually.  Capital 
has  been  subscribed 
for  the  construction  of 
railways  both  from 
Sierra  Leone  and 
Lagos  into  the  inte- 
rior, while  it  is  in- 
tended to  run  another 
line  from  Cape  Coast 
Castle  to  Coomassie. 
It  is  impossible  to  exaggerate  the  advantages  these  rail- 
ways will  be  to  the  merchants  and  others  trading  between 
the  coast  and  the  interior,  and  the  shareholders  may  rest 
contented  with  the  certainty  of  their  future  dividends. 

The  native  population  to-day  of  the  Congo  Free  State  is 
about  sixteen  millions,  while  the  number  of  Europeans  is 
about  fifteen  hundred.  Speaking  of  the  future,  Stanley  de- 
clares that  "  ten  years  hence,  by  the  accelerated  means  of 
transport,  there  will  be  five  thousand  Europeans  in  the 
State,  and  that  by  1998  there  probably  will  be  two  hundred 


The  Negus  Menelek 


In  Darkest  Africa 


609 


and  fifty  thousand   within   the   State,   and  railways   to  the 
Tanganyika,  the  Nile,  and   Katanga.  .  .  .   But  how  easy  it 
were  to  efface  this  fair  prospect  by  imagining  the  destiny 
of  the  State   consigned  to    other  hands  than   that   of  Bel- 
gium !"     The  question  whether  King  Leopold  will  be  suc- 
ceeded by  Belgium  after  the  year  1900,  when  his  agreement 
to  furnish  funds   for  the   development  of  the   Congo   Free 
State  will  expire,  cannot  yet  be  answered.     There  is  every 
prospect,  however,  that,  considering  the  successful  comple- 
tion of  the  railway  con- 
necting the  upper  with 
the  lower  Congo,  and 
the  enormous  benefits 
the  State  must  derive 
therefrom,    that     Bel- 
gium, notwithstanding 
her     past     objections, 
will    generously     con- 
tribute       the       funds 
necessary     when     her 
king's     subsidy     shall 
cease.     The    trade    of 
the    State    is     already 
enormous      and      con- 
stantly on  the  increase, 
and     the      shares     of 
the  Congo   Railway  are   already  commanding   double  their 
face  value.      The    mortality  caused   by   malaria  and   other 
climatic  diseases  is  rapidly  decreasing,  thanks  to  the  railway 
and  the  modern  river  steamers,  and    altogether  the   future 
prosperity  of  the  Congo  Free   State    is  assured,   providing 
Belgium  succeeds  Leopold,  after  1900,  for  a  few  more  years 
with  financial  support. 

France  has  not  been  slow  in  annexing  territory,  and  it  is 

to   be   feared   that  she   has  already   more  than   she   needs. 

Her  African  territory  now  includes  Gaboon,  French  Congo, 

Dahomey,  Senegal,  Algeria,  Tunis,  the  Sahara,  Nigeria,  and 

39 


610 


The  Flaming  Torch 


the  huge  island  of  Madagascar.  Her  revenues  will  not  per- 
mit her  to  support  an  African  empire  and  an  Asian  empire 
too.  Granted  that  Algeria,  Tunis,  and  Senegal  are  firmly- 
established,  the  remainder  are  suffering  for  want  of  the 
sinews  necessary  for  development. 

Italy  is  unable  to  develop  her  claims  in  Africa.  The  land 
she  professes  to  possess  south  of  Abyssinia  is  a  decided 
burden  to  her,  and  the  natives  have  no  protection. 


_j- -^  -=«.^ 

Barberton,  in  the  Transvaal 

"  Becoming  infected  with  the  craze  for  African  territory," 
says  the  great  explorer,  "  and  puffed  up  with  vanity,  she  at- 
tempted to  swallow  more  than  she  could  digest.  The  result 
was  satiety  and  disgorgement.  Her  Somali  and  Galla  lands, 
two  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  square  miles,  are  of  no 
value  to  her,  but  are  coveted  by  both  France  and  Abyssinia. 
It  is  obvious  to  me  that  they  will  be  a  cause  of  trouble,  ex- 
pense, and  humiliation  to  her  yet.  The  sentiment  against 
absentees  is  as  strong  with  rival  powers  as  with  private  ten- 


In  Darkest  Africa 


611 


ants.  Italy,  not  daring  the  cost  of  proper  occupation,  must 
decide  quickly  what  other  alternative  she  will  adopt  in  re- 
gard to  them.  This  section,  then,  being  in  a  state  of  sus- 
pense, there  is  no  certain  basis  for  a  forecast  of  the  futtire. 
A  few  years  hence  it  will  be  safer  to  pronounce  it." 

Regarding  Abyssinia  proper  much  can  be  said  as  to  her 
present  development  and  prospects  of  future  progress.     The 


Cape  Town  to   Buluwayo.    Past   and   Present 


country  is  mountainous  in  the  extreme  and  far  removed 
from  Mohammedan  influences.  While  this  isolation  lias 
been  a  protection,  it  has  retarded  Christian  civilization  ;  but 
the  prominence  attained  by  the  kingdom  under  the  warrior- 
statesinan,  Menelck,  has  attracted  the  interested  attention 
of  the  civilized  world,  and  as  a  result  permanent  good  must 
come  to  the  Abyssinians. 

South  Africa  embraces  South  African   Republic,  Orange 
Free  State,  Cape  Colony,  Natal,  and  Bechuanaland.     "  The 


612  The  Flaming  Torch 

most  marked  advance  in  Africa,"  says  Stanley,  "during  the 
next  century  will  be  in  this  region,  because  it  is  suitable 
to  the  constitution  of  the  European,  and  for  two  hundred 
and  fifty  years  he  has  proved  himself  adapted  to  it  and  has 
already  founded  several  flourishing  states  within  it.  Even 
the  youngest  state  is  possessed  of  all  the  advantages  neces- 
sary to  the  fullest  expansion  ;  railways,  telegraphs,  and 
steam  lines  bring  it  in  direct  contact  with  the  center  of  the 
civilized  world.  Nevertheless,  there  is  a  peculiar  condition 
of  things  in  South  Africa,  found  in  no  other  part  of  the  con- 
tinent, which,  as  we  look  forward  along  the  coming  century, 
satisfies  us  that  there  must  be  a  troublous  future  in  store  for 
these  colonies  and  states.  The  worst  danger,  I  think,  to 
be  apprehended  is  from  the  stubborn  antagonism  which  ex- 
ists between  two  such  determined  races  as  the  British  and 
the  Dutch.  Years  do  not  appear  to  modify,  but  rather  to 
intensify  the  incompatibility.  Already  they  have  lived  side 
by  side  under  one  flag  for  over  ninety  years,  but  the  feeling 
has  been  more  hostile  of  late  years.  The  South  African 
Bond  (Boer)  and  the  South  African  League  (British)  repre- 
sent the  variance  of  feeling  existing.  Though  the  Boers 
are  in  the  majority  at  the  present  time  appearances  are  in 
favor  of  the  ultimate  predominance  of  the  British. 

"  The  imperial  supremacy  is  an  altogether  different  thing 
and  not  worth  considering.  What  we  want  to  know  is  that  it 
will  be  of  such  a  character  as  to  assure  us  of  the  largest  possible 
civil  and  religious  liberty  to  the  people  of  South  Africa.  If  the 
British  are  in  the  ascendant  the  principles  which  triumphed 
in  the  United  States,  Canada,  and  the  Australias,will  triumph 
here  also  ;  but  if  the  Dutch  gain  the  ascendency  the  outlook 
is  not  so  bright.  In  my  opinion  the  latter  can  scarcely  be  the 
case,  though  at  present  Boer  ideas  and  views  preponderate. 
If  a  happy  solution  of  the  problem  be  arrived  at,  South  Af- 
rica in  1998  must  have  a  population  of  European  descent  ap- 
proaching eight  million  and  a  colored  population  of  sixteen 
million.  Sectional  revolts  of  blacks  against  whites  will 
doubtless  happen,  but   any  combination  of  the  Negroes  of 


In  Darkest  Africa 


615 


the  various  states  is  impossible.  Long  before  the  end  of 
the  century  the  connection  of  South  Africa  with  Great 
Britain  will  be  very  slight,  unless  common  interests  will 
have  invented  some  form  of  nexus  whereby  Britain  and  her 
colonies  may  have  the  utmost  freedom  of  action  in  domes- 
tic matters,  while  yet  restrained  from  pursuing  opposing 
politics  in  foreign  affairs." 

The  probable  changes  which  will  take  place  in  Africa 
during  the  next  century  may  not  be  prophesied,  but  wc  can 
venture  to  declare  that  they  will  be  startling  when  com- 
pared with  Africa  a  century  ago,  or  even  at  the  present  day. 
The  railway  from  the  Cape  to  Cairo  is  by  no  means  an  impos- 
sibility. Fifty  million  dollars,  it  has  been  estimated,  would 
rail  the  entire  distance  from  Buluwayo  to  Lado  on  the 
White  Nile,  and  with  a  complete  service  of  well-equipped 
steamers  on  Lakes  Nyassa,  Tanganyika,  Albert  Edward, 
and  Albert,  and  also  on  the  White  Nile,  there  would  be 
direct  communication  between  Cape  Town  and  Alexandria. 


Country  Seat  of  Hon.  Cecil  Rhodes 


616 


The  Flaming  Torch 


CHAPTER  LVI 

Africa's  People  and  Languages 

aggregating  the  estimated  population  of 
the  various  territories  we  may  fairly 
conclude  that  the  total  number  of  Afri- 
ca's inhabitants  is  not  less  than  210,- 
000,000,  or  eighteen  to  the  square  mile, 
a  density  five  times  less  than  that  of 
Europe,  but  still  considerable,  regard 
being  had  to  the  great  extent  of  abso- 
lutely desert,  forest,  and  other  waste 
lands.  "  Of  the  whole  number,"  says 
a  writer  in  Chambers' s  Encyclopaidia, 
"  probably  less  than  1,000,000  are  re- 
cent immigrants  from  Europe,  settled 
chiefly  in  the  extreme  north  (Egypt 
and  Algeria),  and  in  the  extreme  south  (Cape  Colony,  Natal, 
and  the  Boer  States).  About  34,000,000,  all  of  Semitic 
stock,  are  intruders  from  Asia,  sdme  in  remote  or  prehistoric 
times  (3,000,000  Himyarites  in  Abyssinia  and  Harar  from 
South  Arabia),  some  since  the  spread  of  Islam  (over  30,000,000 
nomad  and  other  Arabs,  chiefly  along  the  Mediterranean 
seaboard,  in  West  Sahara,  and  Central  and  East  Soudan). 
All  the  rest,  numbering  about  175,000,000  altogether,  may 
be  regarded  as  the  true  aboriginal  element.  These  are 
classed  by  Lepsius  in  two  great  physical  and  linguistic 
groups  :  Hamites  in  the  north,  Negroes  in  the  south,  meet- 
ing and  intermingling  in  the  intermediate  region  of  Soudan. 
But  this  broad  grouping  is  inadequate  to  explain  the  present 
conditions,  for  there  are  probably  more  than  two  indigenous 
stock  races,  and  certainly  more  than  two  stock  languages 
in  Africa,  while  the  races  themselves  are  intermingled 
in  the  southern  plateau  quite  as  much  as,  if  not  even  to  a 


In  Darkest  Africa 


617 


greater  extent  than  in  Soudan.  The  Arabic  term,  Beled- 
es-Soudan,  '  Land  of  the  Blacks,'  answers  to  our  somewhat 
obsolete  expression  Nigritia,  Negrohmd,  which  is  commonly 
regarded  as  the  true  home  of  the  black  race.  Certainly 
more  ideal  Negro  peoples — that  is,  ideal  in  their  departure 
from  the  European  standard — are  found  in  upper  Guinea,  for 
instance,  and  among  the  Bari  and  Shilluk  Nilotic  tribes,  than 
among  the  Bantus,  as  the  Negro  or  Negroid  peoples  of  the 
southern  plateau  are 
collectively  called. 
In  general,  it  may  be 
said  that,  viewed  as 
a  whole,  the  Negro' 
family  presents  as 
profound  deviations 
within  itself  as  do 
the  Caucasic  and  the 
Mongolic  —  that  is, 
the  two  other  great 
families  of  the  east- 
ern hemisphere.  The 
deviations  arc  even 
greater,  if  in  the  typi- 
cal Negro  group  are 
to  be  included  not 
only  the  aberrant 
Hottentots  of  the  extreme  southwest, but  also  the  pygmy  peo- 
ples, such  as  the  Bushmen  of  the  Kalahari  steppe,  the  Obon- 
gos  of  the  Gaboon,  the  Akkas  south  of  Monbuttuland,  and 
the  diminutive  Batwas,  averaging  four  feet  three  inches  in 
height,  discovered  in  1886  by  Dr.  Ludwig  Wolf  in  the  San- 
kuru  (middle  Congo)  basin.  These  western  Negritos,  scat- 
tered sporadically  over  the  southern  table-land,  seem  to  stand 
in  the  same  relation  to  their  taller  neighbors  as  the  eastern 
Negritos  (Andamanese.  Malayan  Samangs,  Philippine  Aetas, 
Javanese  Kalangs)  to  their  taller  Papuan  neighbors  ;  while 
their  languages,  such  as  that  of  the  Bushmen,  abounding  in, 


Ama-Khosa  Chief 


618 


The  Flaming  Torch 


to  us,  unpronounceable  sounds  known  as  '  clicks,'  are  said 
by  some  to  form  a  sort  of  connecting  link  between  articulate 
and  inarticulate  speech. 

"  Radically  distinct  from   these  idioms  is  the  Hottentot, 
which  differs  fundamentally  from  the  Bantu,  a  vast  linguistic 


Type  of  Bushman 

family,  current  among  nearly  all  the  other  people  of  the 
plateau,  from  the  Ama-Khosas  of  Kafifirland  northward  to  the 
Wa-gandas  of  the  Somerset  Nile  and  the  Duallas  of  the 
Cameroons.  This  wonderful  Bantu  group,  comparable  in 
extent  as  well  as  in  complexity  of  structure  to  the  Aryan, 
Finno-Tartar,  Athabascan,  and  other  widespread  families  in 


In  Darkest  Africa 


619 


the  other  continents,  gives  a  certain  unity  to  the  Bantu 
populations,  who  could  not  otherwise  be  distinguished  b}' 
any  hard  and  fast  line  from  their  northern  Negro  and  Negroid 
neighbors  in  Soudan.  Here  the  diversity  of  speech  is  as 
great  as  is  the  diversity  of  types  produced  b\'  immemorial 
interminglings  with  the  conterminous  Hamite  peoples. 

"  But  amid  the  general  chaos  of  tongues  awaiting  future 
classification  certain  relatively  large  linguistic  groups  have 
already  been  determined, 
which  have  so  far  helped 
to  diminish  the  prevail- 
ing confusion.  Such  are 
the  Mandingan,  with 
many  branches,  in  Sene- 
gambia  ;  the  Sonrhai  of 
Timbuctoo  and  the  mid- 
dle Niger ;  the  Foulah 
and  the  Houssa,  both 
widely  diffused  through- 
out western  Soudan;  the 
Tibbu,  ramifying  from 
South  Fezzan  across 
the  central  Sahara  to 
Kanem,  Bornu,\Vanyan- 
ga  and  Darfur ;  lastly, 
the  Nuba  of  Kordofan 
and  the  middle  Nile  to 
the    Egyptian    frontier. 

All  these,  except  the  Tibbu,  while  differing  radically  from 
each  other,  seem  to  be  essentially  Negro  forms  of  speech, 
although  the  true  Foulahs  are  not  a  Negro,  but  apparently 
a  Hamitic  people.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Nubas,  hitherto 
supposed  to  be  related  to  them,  are  now  known  to  be  true 
Negroes,  whose  type  is  preserved  in  Kordofan,  and  greatly 
modified  in  the  Nile  valley.  The  recent  researches  of 
Nachtigal  have  also  helped  to  determine  the  hitherto  doubt- 
ful position  of  the  Tibbus,  who  occupy  the  whole  of  east- 


Malagasy  Type 


620  The  Flaming  Torch 

ern  Sahara,  from  about  twelve  degrees  east  longitude,  and 
whose  true  home  appears  to  be  the  Tibesti  highlands.  Phys- 
ically they  are  not  to  be  distinguished  from  their  Tuareg 
neighbors  ;  but  the  race  has  been  gradually  displaced  south- 
ward to  the  Tchad  basin,  where  their  speech,  fundamentally 
distinct  from  the  Hamitic,  has  been  adopted  with  consider- 
able modifications  by  the  Kanuri,  Kanembu,  and  other  true 
Negro  peoples.  Other  large  Negro  groups  are  the  Batta  of 
Adamawa ;  the  Nupe  and  Yoruba  of  the  lower  Niger;  the 
Mosgu, south  of  Lake  Tchad;  the  Maba  of  Wadai,  the  Dinka, 
Shilluk,  Bari,  and  Monbuttu  of  the  upper  Nile  and  upper 
Welle;  lastly,  the  Zandeh  and  Fans,  occupying  most  of  the  still 
unexplored  region  between  Soudan  and  the  Congo  and 
Ogowe  basins.  All  of  these  appear  to  be  true  Negroes,  ex- 
cept the  Fans,  who  have  in  recent  times  reached  the  West 
Coast  about  the  equator,  and  who  are  described  as  quite 
distinct  (Hamites?)  from  the  surrounding  black  populations. 

"  The  remainder  of  North  Africa,  except  where  encroached 
upon  by  the  intruding  Semites,  is  the  proper  domain 
of  the  Hamites — that  is,  the  African  branch  of  the  Cau- 
casic  family.  Their  physical  type  is  essentially  Mediter- 
ranean, often  characterized  by  extremely  regular  features, 
and  in  places  even  by  blue  eyes  and  fair  complexion.  But 
their  language  bears  no  distinct  relation  to  any  other  Cau- 
casic  form  of  speech,  beyond  a  certain  faint  resemblance  to 
the  Semitic  sufficient  to  suggest  a  possible  primeval  Semit- 
ico-Hamitic  organic  tongue.  It  has  a  geographical  range 
in  the  north  analogous  to  that  of  the  Bantu  in  the  south, 
being  spoken  with  great  dialectic  diversity  by  the  Berbers  in 
the  western  Sahara, and  Mauritania  (Shluhs,  Kabyles,  Mzabs), 
and  in  the  east  by  the  Gallas,  Somalis,  Masai  (?),  Afars,  Agaus, 
and  Bejas — that  is,  generally  between  the  Nile  basin  and  the 
East  Coast.  But  it  is  now  extinct  in  Eg}'pt,  where  Arabic 
is  current,  and  where  the  old  Hamitic  speech  is  represented 
only  by  the  liturgical  language  of  the  few  surviving  Christian 
Coptic  communities. 

"  In     its    inhabitants,  as     well    as     its     natural     history, 


In  Darkest  Africa  621 

Madagascar  forms  a  rc^^ion  apart,  the  dominant  Hovas 
of  the  central  plateau,  the  Sakalavas  of  the  west,  and  the 
Betsimisarakasof  the  East  Coast  being  either  of  pure  ormixed 
Malay  stock.  The  Malagasy  language  also,  which  is  spoken 
with  ;i  certain  uniformity  all  over  the  island,  is  an  outlying 
branch  of  the  great  oceanic  (Malayo-Polynesian)  family, which 
stretches  eastward  to  Easter  Island.  Nevertheless,  there  is 
evidently  a  considerable  intermixture  of  black  blood,  due  to 
the  importation  of  slaves  from  the  Mogambique  coast,  and 
possibly  also  to  the  presence  of  a  Negro  element  in  the  island 
before  the  arrival  of  the  Malayan  intruders  from  the  Eastern 
Archipelago." 

The  foregoing  remarks  will  be  rendered  more  intelligible 
by  the  subjoined  general  scheme  of  all  the  African  races  : 

I. 
Negro  and  Negroid  Peoples. 
Negritos  (Pygmies). 

Bushmen  (San) Kalahari  Desert. 

Batwas Sankuru  River,  Congo  Basin. 

Obongos Ogowe  Basin. 

Akkas South  Monbuttuland. 

Hottentots  (Khoi-Khoin). 

Namaqua Great  and  Little  Namaqualand. 

Koraqua Upper  Orange,  Vaal,  and  Modder  Rivers. 

Griqua  (Half-castes) Griqualand  West. 

Bant  us. 

Zulu-Kaffirs,  Basutos,  Bechuanas South  from  the  Limpopo. 

Makua,  Matebele Between  Limpopo  and  Zambesi. 

Manganja,  Waiyau Lake  Nyassa. 

Barotse,  Barua,  Balunda Between  Zambesi  and  Congo. 

Waswahili,  Wanika.  Wapokomo East  Coast. 

Wa-ganda,  Wanyamwesi,  Walegga Equatorial  Lakes. 

Ovahercro,  Ovampo,  Bacongo,  Bateke,  Duallo West  Coast. 

So  It  da  11  ese  Ncg^  'oes . 

Kroo,  Fanti,  Ashantee,  Yoruba,  Nupe Ui^per  Guinea. 

Mandingan,  Wolof,  Bambara,  Sonriiai Senegambia. 

Houssa,  Batta,  Kanuri,  Baghirmi,  ]\Iosgu,   Kanem Central  Soudan. 

Maba,  Nuba,  Dinka,  Shilluk,  Bari.  Monl)ullu,  Zandeh.  .Eastern   Soudan. 


622  The  Flaming  Torch 

II. 
Hamitic  Peoples, 
Mixed  and  Doubt  fit  I  Hamiies. 

Fans Ogowe  Basin,  thence  inland. 

Foulahs West  and  Central  Soudan. 

Tibbus ; East  Sahara. 

Agaus Abyssinia. 

Masai Masailand. 

P'ellahin Egypt. 

True  Haim'tes. 

iShluh Morocco. 
Mzab,  Kabyle Algeria,  Tunis. 
Tuareg West  Sahara. 

Gallas,  Somali,  Afar,  Bejas Northeast  Coast. 

III. 
Semitic  Peoples. 

Arabs Mauritania,  West  Sahara,  Central  and  West  Soudan. 

Himyarites  (Amhara,  Tigre,  Shoa) Abyssinia. 

The  lands  occupied  by  the  native  African  or  Negro  tribes 
are  rich  in  minerals,  and,  being  watered  by  rains  and  rivers 
which  overflow,  are  abundantly  fertile.  The  same  field  will 
under  the  tropical  sun  yield  two  and  sometimes  three 
yearly  crops  of  fruits  and  vegetables  or  cereals.  The  same 
soil  in  the  temperate  zone  will  only  yield  once  a  year. 
Unquestionably  the  native  African  is  industrious  and  peace- 
ful, disposed  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  trade.  The  purest 
stock  of  woolly-haired  mankind  are  the  Bantus.  Heli  Chat- 
elain  declares  that  "  the  distinction  between  the  Bantu  and 
Negro  races  is  a  myth,"  and  that  the  Negroes  of  upper 
Guinea  and  the  Soudan  form  "  one  compact  and  homogene- 
ous race  with  the  Bantu  of  the  Congo  basin  ;  "  their  physi- 
cal, mental,  and  moral  characteristics  and  folklore  are  about 
the  same.  South  of  the  equator  the  natives  speak  the 
Bantu  languages,  which  form  one  great  family  of  languages, 
having  one  grammatical  construction  and  a  common  store 
of  words.  The  natives  north  of  the  equator  speak  lan- 
guages which  have  retained  more  or  less  grammatical  forms 


In  Darkest  Africa 


623 


of  Bantu  grammar  and  word  roots  of  Bantu  origin  ;  "  but 
these  ruins,"  says  an  authority,  "are  overgrown  by  a  rank 
and  wild  vegetation  which  it  takes  philology  a  long  time  to 
penetrate.  It  is,  however,  easy,  in  some  of  the  better 
known  languages  spoken  by  Soudan  Negroes,  to  discover 
traces  of  distinctly  Hamitic  influence."  The  physical  char- 
acteristics of  the  native  races  are :  a  large  skeleton,  long 
and  thick  skull,  projecting  jaws,  skin  from  dark  brown  to 
black,  woolly  hair,  thick  lips,  flat  nose,  and  wide  nostrils. 

In  the  North  tlie  Tib- 
bus  hold  a  large  tract  of 
the  Sahara  Desert  north 
of  Lake  Tchad,  while 
from  Senegambia  to 
Lake  Tchad  we  have  Ne- 
groes that  are  ruled  by 
Foulah  conquerors,  who 
have  crushed  up  many 
native  Negro  kingdoms 
and  their  names.  The 
Negroes  of  Wadai,  east 
of  Lake  Tchad,  have 
maintained  their  inde- 
pendence against  the  Ar- 
abs and  Foulah s,  owing 
to  their  Mohammedan 
fanaticism.  The  Negro  population  of  Borneo  is  strongly 
mixed  with  Imoshagh  and  Arabs,  all  professing  the  Mo- 
hammedan religion.  The  Houssas  of  Sokoto  are  Negroes, 
"slightly  mixed  with  Hamites."  They  are  the  most  prom- 
ising people  of  the  Soudan,  and  their  language  will  com- 
pete with  Arabic  and  English  in  the  territory  between 
Lake  Tchad  and  the  Niger.  In  French  Senegambia,  near 
Saint  Louis,  are  the  Wolofs,  a  very  black,  well-built  people, 
whose  language  differs  from  that  of  their  neighbors.  The 
people  of  upper  Guinea  are  generally  heathen.  The 
Temne  and  Nende  and   Susu   tribes  have   a   language  very 


An  Ama-Tonga 


624 


The  Flaming  Torch 


similar  to  the  Bantu.  In  Liberia  the  Vey  tribes  are  re- 
markable for  the  intellectual  development  reached  under 
the  original  syllabic  characters  invented  by  one  of  their 
chiefs,  Doalu  Bukere  ("  the  king  "),  about  sixty  years  ago, 
and  who  was  supposed  to  have  been  under  the  influence  of 
a  dream.  The  industrious  Kroomen  of  the  West  Coast 
form  another  nation  of  great  promise  in  Africa's  future. 


Young  Men  of  the  Garenganze  Country 

On  Gold  and  Slave  Coasts  the  Ephe,  the  Ga,  and  Tshi- 
speaking  people,  including  the  once  important  kingdoms  of 
Ashantee  and  Dahomey,  are  rapidly  becoming  civilized  under 
the  influences  of  Christian  missionaries.  The  Yoruba,  the 
Nupe,  the  Ibo,  and  the  Efik,  in  the  lower  Niger  basin,  are 
rapidly  emerging  out  of  heathenism.  At  Cameroon  we 
reach  the  field  of  the  Bantu   languages,  which  the  explora- 


In  Darkest  Africa  625 

tions  of  Livingstone,  Stanley,  De  Brazza,  Wissman,  and 
Holub  have  brought  into  prominence,  and  around  which 
Christendom  has  formed  a  protectorate.  South  of  the 
equator  the  Negroes  are  in  some  respects  remarkable. 
Separated  from  the  rest  of  mankind  by  wide  oceans,  im- 
passable forests,  and  the  Sahara  Desert,  they  have  been  less 
subject  to  foreign  influences  than  any  other  tribe,  and  their 
ph}'sical  coPidition,  as  well  as  their  language,  is  comparatively 
unimpaired. 

Dr.  Cust,  the  author  of  Languages  of  Africa,  gives  four 
hundred  and  fifty  as  the  total  number  of  African  languages, 
with  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  dialects ;  the  Soudan 
languages  numbering  two  hundred  and  twelve,  with  fifty- 
six  dialects,  and  the  Bantu  languages  one  hundred  and 
eighty,  with  sixty  dialects.  The  same  learned  authority 
also  says  that  the  natives  of  Angola  speak  seven  different 
languages;  but  Chatelain,  who  is,  in  my  estimation,  an  un- 
paralleled authority,  declares  that  "  these  seven  languages 
are  simply  dialects,"  and,  speaking  of  the  Moluas,  the  Barua, 
the  Barbula,  and  the  Bashilange  and  other  tribes  in  the  re- 
gion between  Tanganyika,  Bangweolo,  and  the  confluence 
of  the  Lulua  and  Kassai,  he  tells  us  how  his  friend  Dr. 
Summers  "  labored  two  years  at  one  end  of  this  field,  among 
the  Bashilange,  and  gathered  valuable  linguistic  material 
which  he  bequeathed  to  him  while  at  the  other  end  of  the 
field,  in  Garenganze."  Mr.  Swan,  the  missionary,  also 
learned  the  language  and  published  a  vocabulary  with  a 
few  chapters  of  a  gospel.  "  V>y  comparing  these  materials, 
collected  at  a  distance  of  about  six  hundred  miles,  I  was," 
declares  Chatelain,  "  surprised  to  find  that  it  was  the 
same  language,  and  that  the  natives  gave  it  the  same 
name.  At  the  same  time  I  had  opportunities  to  consult  a 
Belgian  explorer  who  had  traversed  the  region  comprised 
between  these  two"  points,  and  also  native  Angolans  who 
had  accompanied  him  on  his  expedition.  Their  testimony 
confirmed  my  discover)'.  Further  comparative  study  re- 
vealed the  fact  that  other  dialects  are  comprehended  within 
40 


626 


The  Flaming  Torch 


the  boundaries  of  this  great  Luba  language,  and  that 
Luganda,  at  the  north  end  of  Lake  Victoria,  has  practically 
the  same  grammatical  structure. 

"  During  my  second  stay  at  Loanda  I  collected  a  vocabu- 
lary of  U-iaka,  the  language  of  the  Ma-iaka,  or  Ma-iakala. 
On  my  return  to  America  I  discovered,  by  comparison,  that 
U-iaka  was  practically  the  same  as  Ki-teke,  in  which  Dr. 
Sims,  of  Stanley  Pool,  had  published  a  gospel  and  a  vocabu- 


Tailors  of  the  Ba-Mangwato  Tribe 


lary.  Further  research  disclosed  the  fact  that  several  other 
tribes,  the  Northern  Mbamba,  the  Buma,  the  Mbete,  and 
the  Tsaia  speak  dialects  of  the  same  language.  Still  fur- 
ther investigation  into  the  physical  appearance  and  the  cus- 
toms of  these  tribes  showed  them  to  be  identical  in  all  points 
in  which  they  differ  from  their  neighbors  speaking  other 
languages.  These  facts  combined  proved  that  between  the 
equator  and  the  eighth  degree  south  latitude  there  is  a 
cluster  of  tribes  speaking  the  same  language  and  having  the 


In  Darkest  Africa  627 

same  customs,  forming,  therefore,  one  great  nation.  This 
nation,  the  powers  assembled  at  Berhn  in  1885  have,  without 
knowing  it,  and  witliout  the  nation's  knowledge,  divided  be- 
tween France,  the  Congo  Free  State,  and  Portugal,  France 
getting  the  lion's  share." 

In  the  government  schools  at  Cameroons  the  Dualla  lan- 
guage is  being  taught  by  order  of  the  German  government ; 
this  language  is  also  taught  in  the  stations  of  the  Basel  mis- 
sions. The  d}'ing  tribe  of  the  Mpongwe  in  the  French 
Congo  are  being  superseded  by  the  fighting  Fang  tribes, 
who  speak  a  sort  of  Bantu  language. 

The  Ovi-mbundu,  of  Bailundu  and  Bihe,  away  in  the  high- 
lands of  Angola,  bring  the  produce  of  the  might}'  Congo's 
streams  to  Benguela,  which  is  a  seaport  town.  There  they 
barter  it  principally  for  wretched  European  firewater  and 
firearms  and  cartridges  or  powder,  which  enable  the  Ma- 
kioko  to  carry  on  their  vile  slave  raids.  The  men  of  this 
tribe  are  fine  athletic  specimens  of  black-skinned  manhood, 
wearing  long  plaited  beards.  These  magnificent  savages 
have  crushed  the  once  powerful  empire  of  Lunda,  making 
slaves  of  the  subjects  of  Muatyamo,  their  former  suzerain. 
The  Kioko  tribe  are  said  to  speak  the  same  language  as 
the  Ambuella  of  the  Zambesi  River. 

In  German  South  Africa  the  Ovaheroro,  famous  for  the 
raising  and  herding  of  cattle,  are  beginning  to  show  signs 
of  improvement  since  the  troops  of  the  German  emperor 
have  protected  them  from  the  raids  of  the  Hottentots  and 
curbed  the  marauding  propensities  of  Witboy,  the  Nama 
chieftain. 

South  of  the  Zambesi  are  the  Zulus,  the  Kaffirs,  the 
Bechuana,  the  Batonga,  the  Matebele,  the  Mashona,  and 
the  Ba-nayai.  These  are  all  Bantu  nations,  whose  territories 
are  gradually  being  grasped  by  the  greedy  hunters  of  gold 
and  the  grabbers  of  land,  who  retard  the  work  of  the  mis- 
sionaries, unfortunately. 

Between  the  Rovuma  and  Zambesi  Rivers  in  Portuguese 
Mocambiquc,  is   the  ]\Ia-kua   tribe,  and   the  Lomve,  Metu, 


628 


The  Flaming  Torch 


Ibo,  and  Angroche.  Their  territory  is  always  being  invaded 
by  Europeans  with  the  permission  of  the  Portuguese  gov- 
ernment. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Lake  Nyassa  the  British  and 
German  authorities  protect  the  Wa-yao,  the  Ma-konde,  and 
the  Manganga    against    the    fiendish    Arab  slaver   and  the 

plundering  Maviti ;  while 
in  German  East  Africa, 
the  Wa-Zaramoo,  Wa- 
Sagara,  Wa-Gogo,  Wa- 
Zeguha,  Wa-Hehe,  and 
the  Wa-Nyanwezi  tribes 
are  the  stronger,  speak- 
ing languages  very  simi- 
lar to  the  K-Suahili  of 
Zanzibar. 

There  seems  to  be  lit- 
tle doubt  that  the  future 
destiny  of  Africa,  in  its 
nationalization,  its  lan- 
guage, and  system  of 
government,  will  be  prin- 
cipally upon  an  English 
basis.  Time  has  proved 
the  language  of  the  Briton 
to  be  the  most  useful 
in  its  general  adaptabil- 
ity. And  the  grand  sys- 
tem of  civil  govern- 
ment brought  down  from  the  Romans  to  the  nineteenth 
century  perfection  of  the  English  and  American  govern- 
ments is  the  best  that  has  or  can  be  adopted,  since  it  al- 
lows the  citizen  all  possible  freedom  of  thought,  speech,  or 
action  consistent  with  the  safety  of  the  State.  I  agree  with 
Mr.  T.  Thomas  Fortune  when  he  declares  that  "the  Chris- 
tian religion  is  destined  to  supplant  all  other  religious  systems 
of  belief,  because  it  is  the  best  code  of  moral  philosophy  ever 


A  Kabyle  Type 


In  Darkest  Africa 


629 


given  to  man  as  an  inspiration  or  as  a  development,  an  evo- 
lution of  the  social  life  of  a  people."  The  English-speaking 
people  represent  the  strongest  force  in  the  Dark  Continent 
to-day,  and  I  will  venture  to  prophes}-  that  in  a  few  more 
years  they  will  be  the  leaders  of  all  other  European  and 
native  forces.  Neither  language  nor  religion  may  produce 
a  homogeneous  people,  but  language,  religion,  and  consider- 
ations of  general  welfare  will  eventually  bring  about  the 
same  result  in  Africa  as  they  have  brought  about  in  America. 
Out  of  the  race  elements  on  the  somber  continent  there 


Two  Views  of  the  Koranna  Type 


will  yet  be  a  civilization  whose  glory  and  strength  shall  equal 
the  most  perfect  that  now  exist,  or  that  have  passed  away, 
and  "Ethiopia  shall  stretch  forth  her  hand  to  God  "  and 
receive  his  loving  smile  with  humble  and  fervent  gratitude. 
The  African's  greatest  crime,  after  all,  has  been  his  ignorance 
in  morals  and  manners,  wherein  animalism  has  had  unguided 
sway.  As  the  redemption  of  the  African  has  commenced 
this  will  surel)'  be  changed.  The  future  of  Africa  gives  the 
thoughtful  investigator  something  to  think  about.  Its  agri- 
cultural opportunities,  its  commerce,  }'ct  in  its  infancy, 
and   its  gold   and   diamond   mines,  have  already  awakened 


630  The  Flaming  Torch 

prosperous  nations  of  Europe  to  acts  of  covetousness. 
Thousands  of  aliens  to-day  are  endeavoring  to  get  a  slice  of 
Africa,  Is  there  not  a  danger  in  the  future  that  knowledge 
will  give  the  native  this  fever  for  gain  and  a  desire  to  regain 
the  country  he  has  lost  through  his  ignorance?  It  is  a 
danger  not  to  be  overlooked.  Unnumbered  millions  of 
enlightened  desperate  men  would  be  a  formidable  foe  against 
all  the  invaders  put  together.  One  thing  is  certain,  and 
that  is  that  sooner  or  later  the  African  native  will  surely 
awaken  to  the  fact  of  the  material  value  of  all  he  has  unwit- 
tingly abrogated  and  submitted  to  in  the  treaties  \\hich  he 
has  signed  under  the  representations  of  pretended  benefits 
to  his  race  and  civilization  generally.  The  European  invader 
might  do  well  to  consider  and  reform  his  avaricious  methods. 

As  the  Africans  say  when  they  put  the  seed  of  a  mango 
into  the  ground  when  they  are  on  a  journey,  "  I  plant  it,  that 
my  brother  who  comes  ten  years  hence  may  have  fruit  to 
eat;"  so  let  us  plant  seeds  of  truth  and  honor,  that  in  ten 
years  hence  we  may  reap  peace  and  brotherly  love. 

The  African,  despite  his  ignorance,  is  human.  He  will 
fight  for  his  country,  for  territorial  boundaries,  for  natural 
rights,  for  his  beliefs,  for  his  homes,  for  his  women  and  chil- 
dren, and  to  establish  possessorship  over  weaker  countries. 
He  will  fight  too,  when  self-interest  is  at  stake,  when  even 
minor  governmental  or  petty  individual  differences  arise,  if 
he  imitates  the  nations  of  Christendom  at  this  very  time. 

The  whole  world  has  been  paying  a  mistaken  tribute  to 
the  peaceful  attributes  of  the  African,  to  have  presupposed 
that  he  will  never  turn  fiercely  to  throw  off  the  shackles  of 
subjugation  and  repossess  himself  of  his  birthright. 


War  Drum 


In  Darkest  Africa 


631 


CHAPTER  LVII 

The  Open  Sore 

OUBTLESS  the  estimate  that  there  are 
still  fifty  million  slaves  in  Africa  is  not 
in  the  least  exaggerated.  The  British 
Antislavery  Society,  which  has  received 
a  large  number  of  reports  from  sources 
which  cannot  be  doubted  for  a  moment, 
declares  that  fully  half  a  million  of  the 
poor  African  natives  are  annually  killed 
in  the  prosecution  of  this  vile  business. 
From  the  Atlantic  to  the  Red  Sea  and 
from  Zanzibar  to  the  Nile  the  slave  trade  is  carried  on,  not- 
withstanding British  and  other  European  protection.  Take 
Zanzibar,  for  instance.  Here  are  two  small  islands  governed 
by  English  officers,  yet  out  of  a  population  of  four  hundred 
thousand  people  there  are  two  hundred  and  sixty  thousand 
slaves,  whose  average  lives  are  only  seven  years,  according 
to  the  calculation  of  the  owners  themselves.  These  slaves 
are  all  held  illegall)- ;  the  British  authorities  admit  this 
much  and  have  continually  promised  to  rectify  this  terrible 
wrong,  but  at  the  present  time  matters  are  just  about  the 
same. 

It  is  estimated  that  for  each  twenty  thousand  slaves 
imported  into  Arab  territory  more  than  sixty  thousand 
natives  have  been  ruthlessly  murdered  in  their  kraals  in 
various  parts  of  Africa.  The  British  government  is  well 
aware  of  these  facts,  but  hesitates  to  make  a  commotion 
among  the  Arabs  of  Zanzibar  and  other  places  Avhere  the 
revenues  are  obtained  from  the  labor  of  these  poor 
wretches.  If  America  would  atone  for  her  past  errors  in 
the  slave  trade  she  has  ample  opportunity  at  the  present 
time  in  Africa. 


632 


The  Flaming  Torch 


When  you  are  told  that  cannibalism  does  not  exist  any 
more  in  Africa  you  are  deceived.  Cannibalism  and  slavery 
are    very    closely  allied    in    some    parts    of  Africa    to-day. 


Gathering  Nuts  of  the  Fan  Palm 

This  is  the  fact  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Mobanghi 
River,  the  boundary  between  Congo  Free  State  and  French 
territory.     There  the  slaves  are  far  more  numerous  than  the 


In  Darkest  Africa  633 

natives  who  are  free.  The  flesh  of  dumb  animals  is  de- 
spised, and  the  chiefs  kill  their  slaves  regularly  for  their 
feasts,  which  are  many.  Young  slaves  are  used  instead  of 
money  to  pay  for  goods  and  chattels  of  every  description. 
The  lords  of  these  lands  keep  no  banking  accounts.  Their 
wealth  is  in  their  slaves. 

Whenever  a  hunt  is  arranged  to  take  place  on  a  given 
day  a  young  boy  often  or  twelve  years  must  first  be  cruelly 
sacrificed  to  the  river  god.  The  natives  are  very  pious  at 
Nyange,  Butome,  Irebu,  and  Busmide,  for  a  Catholic  mis- 
sionary writing  from  Liranga,  says  they  make  human  sacri- 
fices two  or  three  times  a  week.  This  correspondent  even 
gives  the  horrible  details  of  the  arrangements  and  misery  of 
anticipation  which  the  victim  suffers  ;  but  I  will  spare  my 
readers. 

The  natives  themselves  carry  on  the  largest  traffic  in 
slaves,  without  violence,  in  the  everyday  social  customs. 
Unfortunately  it  is  "  a  constituent  element  of  native  Afri- 
can society;  "  a  system  introduced  by  American  and  Afri- 
can slave  hunters.  And  the  slave  owners  of  Africa  think 
and  argue  that  if  the  slave  trade  is  entirely  abolished  chaos 
will  reign. 

At  present,  where  native  rule  is  in  the  ascendant,  parents 
have  the  right  to  sell  their  children.  Every  child  that  is 
born  is  the  property  of  "  its  maternal  uncle  ;  "  in  some 
tribes  of  its  father.  This  right  has  been  so  abused  by  the 
Lubolo  tribe  in  Angola  that  these  cruel  people  actually 
"consider  the  breeding  of  children  as  an  easy  way  to  earn  a 
livelihood."  Then  again  a  man  has  the  right  to  sell  him- 
self, and  this  he  never  does  so  long  as  he  has  a  nephew  or 
cattle  or  house  to  sell.  The  poor  debtor  who  cannot  pay 
his  debts  may  be  sold  to  the  highest  bidder  by  his  credi- 
tors. Criminals  are  also  sold  in  like  manner.  Witchcraft 
and  adultery  are  the  principal  crimes  which  supply  slaves 
to  the  voracious  dealer.  The  crime  of  being  a  supposed 
witch  is  punishable  with  death,  but  it  often  happens  that 
the  chief  or  witch  doctor  can  have  the  unfortunate  victim 


634 


The  Flaming  Torch 


sold  into  slavery.  Kidnapping  is  very  frequent,  not  only 
by  the  Arabs,  but  by  the  natives  themselves.  They  think 
it  very  smart  to  kidnap  one  of  their  fellows  and  sell  him 
to  the  Arabs  without  being  found  out.  Prisoners  of 
war  are  either  butchered  or  sold  into  slavery.  Women 
when    they   are   young   or   middle-aged    are    very    seldom 


^T  I'l      iiiin  '^11  lirffii I*'  ' '"' 


Gathering  and  Drying  Dates 


killed,  because  they  are  easily  sold  either  for  the  harem 
or  field  labor.  Chatelain  declares  that  "  most  of  the  slave 
raiding  wars  are  caused,  not  immediately,  but  through  one, 
two,  or  three  intermediary  links,  by  the  demand  of  semiciv- 
ilized  Mohammedan  Hamites  or  Negroes,  in  the  Soudan  ; 
of  well-to-do  Egyptians,  Moroccans,  and  Arabs;  of  oil  kings, 
in  the  Niger  basin;  of  white  planters,  wherever  sugar  cane, 
coffee,  and  cocoa  are  grown  on  a  large  scale,  and  last,  but 


In  Darkest  Africa  635 

not  least,  by  the  demand  of  the  European  governments  and 
expeditions  for  native  soldiers  or  carriers." 

The  native  African  will  always  work  up  to  the  measure  of 
his  needs,  or  according  to  the  incentive  offered.  The 
European  now  sometimes  resorts  to  the  shallow  subterfuge 
of  redeeviiJig  slaves.  The  men  and  women  are  captured  by 
powerful  native  chiefs  and  sent  to  the  European  contractors 
or  planters,  who  redeem  them  and  put  them  to  work  in 
their  fields  or  making  roads,  under  the  lash.  It  was  an 
open  secret  that  redeemed  slaves  were  employed  for  some 
time  in  the  building  of  the  Congo  Railroad.  The  cry 
raised  against  this  five  years  ago,  however,  caused  the  Brit- 
ish authorities  to  investigate,  and  as  far  as  possible,  be  it 
said  with  all  honor  to  those  in  power,  it  was  stopped.  The 
men  were  fairly  paid  and  left  absolutely  free.  The  real 
trouble  exists  between  the  planter  and  the  contractor. 

Civilization  in  Africa  in  some  respects  has  increased  the 
difficult}^  in  its  great  demand  for  laborers.  The  contract 
s}-stem  which  obtains  in  the  Portuguese  colonies  is  acknowl- 
edged openly,  even  in  Parliament,  to  be  the  same  old  slavery 
made  legal  under  another  name. 

Stanley  declared  in  1893"^  "that  the  final  blow  had  been 
given  by  the  act  of  the  Brussels  Antislavery  Conference, 
wherein  modern  civilization  has  fulh'  declared  its  opinions 
upon  the  question  of  slavery,  and  no  single  power  will  dare 
remain  indifferent  to  them  under  penalty  of  obloquy  and 
shame."  The  first  article  of  the  Brussels  act  contains  seven 
paragraphs  which  were  drafted  with  the  sole  object  of  sup- 
pressing  this  trade  in  human  beings.  Great  Britain,  Ger- 
many, and  the  Congo  Free  State  are  the  three  powers  most 
concerned  in  the  carrying  out  of  this  act,  but  Great  Britain 
has  done  the  least,  although  in  the  past  she  was  ever  the 
leading  spirit  in  the  cause  of  the  poor  slave. 

"The  slave  trader,"  continues  Stanley,  "has  disappeared 
from  the  East  Coast  almost  entirely  and  is  to  be  found  now 
on  the  lake  coast  of  the  Victoria  or  within  British  territory. 

*  Harper's  Moiitlily  Magazine,  March,  1893. 


636  The  Flaming  Torch 

The  ocean  cruiser  can  follow  him  no  farther ;  but  the  lake 
cruiser  must  not  only  debar  the  guilty  slave  dhow  from  the 
privilege  of  floating  on  the  principal  fountains  of  the  Nile, 
but  she  must  assist  to  restrict  the  importation  of  firearms 
from  German  territory,  from  the  byways  of  Arab  traffic, 
from  the  unguarded  West  ;  she  must  prevent  the  flight  of 
fugitives  and  rebels  and  offenders  from  British  territory; 
she  must  protect  the  missionaries  and  British  subjects  in 
their  peaceful  passage  to  and  fro  across  the  lake;  she  must 
teach  the  millions  on  the  lake  shores  that  the  white  ensign 
waving  from  her  masthead  is  a  guarantee  of  freedom,  life, 
and  peace.  To  make  these  great  benefits  possible  the  Vic- 
torian lake  must  be  connected  with  the  Indian  Ocean  by  a 
railway.  That  narrow  iron  track  will  command  effectively 
one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  square  miles  of  British  ter- 
ritory. It  is  the  one  remedy  for  the  present  disgraceful 
condition  of  British  East  Africa."  Since  Stanley  uttered 
those  words  in  1893  I  know  that  the  British  government  has 
done  much  to  alleviate  the  condition  of  the  native  African 
and  the  contract  laborer.  The  divine  hand  which  has 
opened  up  Africa  to  civilization  will  not  forsake  his  dark- 
skinned  children  at  this  juncture.  The  planter  or  con- 
tractor, be  he  British,  German,  Dutch,  French,  or  Arab,  who 
deceives  and  oppresses  these  children  of  nature  will  reap 
a  certain,  though  it  may  not  be  swift,  retribution,  for  God 
has  declared  that  Africa  shall  be  redeemed. 

The  spirit  of  Livingstone  will  live  in  the  heart  of  every 
Christian  man  and  woman  who  desires  that  this  open  sore 
of  slavery  shall  be  healed.  And  what  Christian  can  do  oth- 
erwise ? 


^ 


H 


H 


South  Hfvican  Biainonbe 


CHAPTER  LVIII 

The  Mines  at  Kimberley 

ERTAINLY  South  Africa  is  at  present  the 
world's  chief  source  of  supply  for  the 
splendid  gems  which  the  wealthy  prize, 
the  needy  covet,  and  lovers  of  the  beauti- 
ful admire  the  world  over.  The  dia- 
monds of  Hindustan  and  Brazil  were  the 
ideal  gems  before  Kimberley  dazzled  the 
world  with  the  fabulous  wealth  of  the 
new  Golconda. 
The  crreat  diamond  mines  of  South  Africa  are  situated 
within  a  circle  of  about  three  and  one  half  miles  in  diame- 
ter. There  are  five  principal  mines,  the  largest  of  which 
is  forty-five  acres  in  extent.  These  are  known  as  the  Kim- 
berley, Bloemfontein,  De  Beers,  Du  Toit's  Pan,  and  Wesselton 
mines.  It  is  in  this  vicinity  that  the  famous  town  of  Kim- 
berley has  sprung  up,  where  diamond  mining  is  carried  on  in 
a  way  never  before  dreamed  of.  The  best  scientific  skill  of 
the  world  has  been  brought  to  the  development  of  these 
mines,  and  a  perfect  military  organization  has  been  evolved 
for  their  protection. 

The  mines  lie  at  the  northern  end  of  a  plateau,  about 
four  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  which  extends 
from  the  Bokveldt  Mountains  near  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  to  the  border  of  the  Transvaal.  The  Orange  Free 
State  possesses  other  diamond  mines.  Two  of  these  are  of 
considerable   size,    one    thirty    and    the    other    sixty   miles 

away. 

639 


640  The  Flaming  Torch 

In  most  parts  of  the  district  the  excavator,  after  clearing 
away  the  surface  soil,  comes  upon  a  dark,  coaly  shale  a  hun- 
dred feet  or  more  thick,  beneath  which  lies  a  mass  of  igne- 
ous basaltic  rock.  This  is  succeeded  by  a  blackish  shale 
with  bands  of  hard  sandstone.  Here  and  there,  however, 
is  a  mass  of  curious  rotten  earth  in  which  is  found  some- 
times fragments  of  shale  and  hard  mineral  grains.  This  is 
of  a  yellowish  shade,  but  gradually  to  about  one  hundred 
feet  below  it  becomes  green  and  is  found  to  be  more  solid. 
The  two  substances  are  identical  in  origin,  but  the  upper  or 
yellow  ground  is  more  decomposed  than  the  lower  or  "  blue 
ground,"  as  it  is  called.  As  we  dig  deeper  and  deeper  we 
find  that  pick  and  shovel  are  useless,  and  the  substance  has 
to  be  quarried  in  the  ordinary  way.  Its  appearance  now  is 
entirely  different,  consisting  largely  of  fragments  varying  in 
shape  and  size.  Some  are  pieces  of  rock;  others  are  miner- 
als with  the  appearance  of  crystals.  These  are  all  set  in  a 
greenish-colored  matrix.  This  substance,  whether  rotten  or 
solid,  is  the  diamond-bearing  rock,  and  seems  to  fill  huge 
"  pipes  "  or  shafts  which  appear  to  have  been  driven  through 
the  shale  and  underlying  rocks  vertically  downward,  to  what 
depth  is  unknown  ;  but  it  is  certain  that  it  is  not  less  than 
fifteen  hundred  feet.  At  first  the  material  was  "  pegged  out  " 
in  a  number  of  small  claims,  and  the  soft  stuff  was  easy  to 
work.  Gradually,  however,  difficulties  arose  as  the  excava- 
tions were  deepened.  The  material  was  constantly  slipping 
and  falling,  not  only  from  the  "  pipe  "  itself,  but  from  what 
tlie  miners  call  the  "  country  rock  "  at  its  side.  Water  be- 
came troublesome  and  working  expensive,  and  therefore  co- 
operation  and  capital  became  absolute  necessities. 

In  1880  the  mines  had  been  acquired  by  companies,  and 
they  are  now  combined  under  the  name  of  the  De  Beers 
Consolidated  Mines.  Deep  shafts  have  been  sunk  through 
the  ''country  rock"  from  which  levels  are  driven  to  the 
"  pipes."  The  diamond-bearing  rock  is  quarried  away,  as  it 
were,  layer  by  layer,  and  is  taken  up  to  the  surface.  Dur- 
ing this  process  a  diamond  may  be  discovered,  but  it  is  only 


In  Darkest  Africa 


641 


a  mere  chance.  It  is  necessary  that  the  rock  be  exposed 
to  atmospheric  action  in  order  that  it  may  crumble  to 
pieces  if  possible,  to  avoid  the  risk  of  splitting  the  diamond 
it  might  contain  if  it  were  crushed  by  machinery.  Some- 
times the  crushing  cannot  be  avoided  ;  but  whether  by 
crushing  or  action  of  the  air  the  fragments  are  carefully 
washed  and  searched  over  for  diamonds. 

It  is  impossible  for  the  outside  world  to  gather  the  exact 


fit 

The  Kimberley  Diamond  Fields 

facts  regarding  the  quantity  of  diamonds  discovered  in  these 
mines.  Doubtless  the  world  would  be  amazed  if  the  truth 
were  known.  The  directors,  however,  keep  the  matter  a 
profound  secret,  and,  moreover,  they  place  a  decided  limit 
on  the  output  lest  the  market  should  be  glutted.  It  has 
been  whispered  by  good  authority  that  up  to  the  end  of 
1892  no  less  than  ten  tons  of  diamonds  had  been  taken 
from    the  mines.     A  writer  in   the   CosDiopolitan  gives   the 


642  The  Flaming  Torch 

figure  at  seven  tons,  but  1  believe  ten  is  nearer  the  mark. 
These  were  valued  at  sixty  million  pounds  sterling,  or  three 
hundred  million  dollars. 

Crookes,  a  well-known  English  scientist  and  lecturer, 
stated  in  a  lecture  he  recently  delivered,  that  these  dia- 
monds would  fill  a  box  five  feet  square  and  six  feet  high. 
The  annual  product  is  now  about  half  a  ton.  Eight  thou- 
sand persons  are  employed  by  this  corporation,  of  whom 
about  sixteen  hundred  are  white,  the  remaining  six  thou- 
sand four  hundred  being  chiefly  Kaffirs.  In  giving  the 
above  estimate  of  the  diamond  output  we  include  bad  and 
good.  Some  may  be  gems  of  the  first  water,  while  others 
may  only  be  fit  for  cutting  purposes.  Colored  diamonds 
from  these  mines  are  rare,  while  those  having  a  slight  yel- 
low tinge  are  common.  The  expert  can  generally  tell  the 
locality  from  which  the  stone  has  been  obtained  the  mo- 
ment he  examines  it,  which  indicates  that  the  diamonds  of 
each  mine  have  something  of  an  individuality.  The  largest 
diamond  which  has  yet  been  found  at  Kimberley  measured 
somewhat  less  than  two  inches  from  point  to  point  and 
weighed  nearly  four  ounces  Troy  weight. 

Geologists  are  not  3^et  decided  as  to  the  real  nature  of  the 
rock  where  these  diamonds  are  found.  The  rock  contains 
olivine,  garnet,  mica,  augite,  and  serpentinous  stone  and 
shale.  The  late  Professor  Carvill  Lewis  believed  the  rock 
to  be  of  igneous  origin,  and  that  the  included  fragments  had 
been  broken  off  by  and  embedded  in  the  molten  mass  as  it 
forced  its  way  upward.  The  majority  of  geologists,  how- 
ever, believe  this  rock  to  be  a  kind  of  volcanic  breccia  pro- 
duced by  a  series  of  explosions  of  gas  and  steam,  modified 
afterward  by  the  passage  of  hot  water — in  other  words,  that 
the  "  pipes  "  are  the  throats  of  volcanoes  which  only  dis- 
charge broken  rock,  steam,  and  water.  Others  believe  that 
the  diamond  was  produced  just  where  it  has  been  found, 
while  some  believe  that  these  diamonds  have  been  formed 
deep  down  in  the  earth,  like  the  garnet,  augite,  etc.,  and 
brought    up   with   other    fragments    during    the    explosion. 


In  Darkest  Africa  645 

Professor  Lewis  maintained  that  the  diamonds  were  formed 
by  the  action  of  the  molten  magnesian  rock  on  the  carbona- 
ceous shales.  Of  course  we  all  know  that  diamond  is  only 
one  form  of  pure  carbon,  of  which  carbonado  and  black  lead 
are  other  forms.  The  presence  of  olivine  and  other  ferro- 
magnesian  minerals  may  be  significant,  for  diamonds  have 
been  found  in  meteorites  composed  mainly  of  iron. 

A  visitor  from  New  York  to-day  would  not  find  Kimberley 
a  very  picturesque  place.  There  are  a  few  comparatively 
fine  buildings,  and  the  majority  are  constructed  of  galvan- 
ized iron.  But  notwithstanding  the  lack  of  the  beautiful 
in  outward  appearances  Kimberley  possesses  all  the  luxuries 
of  modern  civilization.  Previous  to  1871  it  was  but  a  spot 
in  a  dreary  desert  waste  ;  now  it  is  a  thriving  town  with  a 
population  of  twenty  thousand,  the  diamond  center  of  the 
whole  world. 

When  a  blast  is  about  to  be  made  in  one  of  the  mines  a 
bell  is  rung.  You  may  look  into  the  pit  and  watch  the 
burning  fuse ;  the  Kaffirs  are  scampering  off  to  places  of 
safety  in  all  directions  ;  you  hear  a  roar  as  of  thunder,  and 
see  the  ground  heave  and  the  earth  shoot  up  into  the  air 
and  fall  back  again.  There  are  generally  a  series  of  these 
reports,  one  following  another,  and  then  a  bell  is  rung  again 
to  indicate  that  the  danger  is  over,  and  the  Kaffirs  go  back 
with  their  picks  to  delve  and  dig  the  blue  ground  in  the 
darkness  of  a  shaft  or  on  the  surface  in  the  light. 

Do  the  Kaffirs  steal  diamoiuls?  Yes;  they  do  when  they 
get  a  chance.  Formerly,  when  vigilance  was  only  a  theory 
and  not  a  fact,  it  is  believed  on  good  authority  that 
fully  one  half  the  diamonds  were  stolen.  Now,  however, 
with  an  elaborate  system  of  espionage  and  the  fact  that 
the  Kaffir  must  live  in  the  compound  for  the  three  months 
for  which  he  engages  to  serve  the  company,  and  be  under 
the  strictest  surveillance  all  the  time,  it  is  estimated  that 
not  more  than  five  per  cent  of  the  diamonds  are  stolen.  The 
trader  and  rum  are  blamed  for  making  thieves  of  the  Kaffirs. 
Formerly  a  diamond  thief,  when  caught  in  flagrante  delicto, 


646  The  Flaming  Torch 

was  immediately  lynched.  Now,  however,  that  law  and 
order  are  said  to  prevail,  the  poor  ignorant  Kaffir  is  flogged 
almost  to  death  and  imprisoned  for  a  term  of  years.  The 
devices  for  concealing  the  precious  stones  are  many  and 
various.  If  the  three  months'  service  should  be  about  up 
the  Kaffir  will  generally  swallow  all  the  diamonds  he  can 
manage  to  put  into  his  mouth  without  being  caught. 
These  he  can  readily  dispose  of  to  the  dealer  in  smuggled 


Kreli.   the  Great  Kaffir  King 

di:imonds  for  a  tithe  of  their  value,  providing  he  can  get 
I  way  with  them.  Some  of  the  Negroes  cut  gashes  in  their 
flesh  in  order  to  conceal  diamonds,  but  this  dodge  is  now 
loo  well  known.  One  of  the  most  cute  tricks  of  conceal- 
ment was  that  of  a  man  who  was  lynched  some  time  ago. 
His  scheme  had  been  to  cut  the  skin  of  his  dog  and  make 
pockets  to  hold  the  diamonds.  The  poor  dog  suffered  ter- 
ribly, and  it  was  the  dog's  wounded  body  that  finally  led  to 
the  man's  arrest  and  execution. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


647 


It  will  be  impossible  to  close  this  chapter  without  a  word 
about  the  fantastic  holiday  attire  of  the  natives  who  work  in 
the  mines,  and,  indeed,  out  of  them  too.  Dealers  in  second- 
hand wearing  apparel  do  a  thriving  trade  at  Kimberley.  Old 
hats,  coats,  pants,  women's  dresses,  and  fancy  underclothing 
are  imported  from  London  and  sold  at  a  high  price  to  the 
Kaffir  dude.  It  is  not  the  article  he  purchases,  however, 
which  is  strikingly  ridiculous,  but  it  is  the  absurd  manner 


A  Kaffir  Kraal 

in  which  he  wears  it.  Just  imagine,  if  you  can,  a  tall,  ath- 
letic Kaffir  with  his  legs  shoved  through  the  sleeves  of  a 
coat,  the  body  of  the  coat  being  tied  around  his  bod)'  or 
suspended  over  his  shoulders  with  cords.  To  make  matters 
worse  he  has  upon  his  head  a  silk  hat  upside  down,  for  the 
crown  was  out  when  he  purchased  it,  and  he  concluded 
that  the  gap  where  the  crown  should  have  been  was  the 
place  for  his  head.  I  have  seen  the  photograph  (taken  in- 
stantaneously) of  a  Kaffir  with  his  arms  pushed  through  the 
legs  of  a  pair  of  pants  and  his  majestic  head  adorned  with  red 


648  The  Flaming  Torch 

feathers  and  an  old  bridal  veil.  The  wildest  imagination  can- 
not picture  them  more  grotesque  than  they  really  are  in  all 
these  discarded  odds  and  ends  of  civilization.  They  have 
no  idea  of  being  funny.  A  Kaffir  is  never  more  serious  and 
solemn  than  when  arrayed  in  garb  most  ridiculous.  Not- 
withstanding all  this,  there  is  a  wonderful  difference  between 
the  Kaffir  of  to-day  and  a  very  few  years  ago.  Better  a 
fantastic  dresser  than  the  murdering  savage  that  he  certainly 
was.  Daily  contact  with  white  people  is  producing  its 
effect,  and  by  and  by  he  will  desire  to  dress  like  the  white 
man.  Already  the  missionaries  in  the  compounds  are  bring- 
ing them  to  the  light  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus. 

One  of  these,  who  preaches  in  a  number  of  compounds, 
and  comes  in  contact  with  about  ten  thousand  natives,  re- 
lates some  interesting  cases  of  conversion  among  them.  One 
was  a  Zulu,  familiarly  called  Jim.  The  second  time  he  heard 
the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  he  surrendered  to  God,  and  re- 
ceived Christ  as  his  Saviour.  Soon  after,  on  one  occasion 
the  missionaries  did  not  appear  when  expected,  so  Jim  gath- 
ered his  fellow-workmen  about  him,  and  addressed  them 
with  such  earnestness  that  one  of  the  natives  fell  upon  the 
ground  and  prayed  aloud  for  mercy.  After  Jim  had  prayed 
with  him  he  professed  to  have  found  pardon  and  peace. 
Even  when  dug  up  out  of  the  compounds,  where  the  natives 
have  quickly  added  to  the  sins  of  heathenism  the  vices  of 
the  rum  civilization,  the  best  agency  for  reaching  the  masses 
of  the  people  can  be  secured  and  trained  for  efficient  service. 
Although  opposition  is  often  met  with  it  is  not  infrequently 
turned  to  good  account  in  the  furtherance  of  missionary 
work.  On  one  occasion  a  mine  foreman  forbade  the  mis- 
sionaries' entrance  into  the  compound,  but  finally  said  to 
them,  "  You  may  give  an  exhibition  of  a  sample  service." 
Although  he  entered  it  in  this  jesting  mood  he  soon  showed 
an  interest  by  borrowing  a  hymn  book  from  one  of  the  by- 
standers, a  little  later  was  seen  to  be  earnestly  engaged  in 
studying  a  copy  of  the  Bible,  and  at  the  close  of  the  meet- 
iiifT  was  found  on  his  knees. 


Slatin  Pasha 


XCbe  Croee  in  the  Souban 


CHAPTER  LIX 

Retribution  and  Restitution 

AHDISM  has  met  its  Waterloo  at  Om- 
durman.  Gordon  has  been  avenged  ! 
The  Khahfa,  with  his  hosts  of  dervish- 
es, has  been  routed  from  his  strong- 
hold, and  Mahdism  is  a  thing  of  the 
past.  ■  To-day  the  Union  Jack  of  the 
British  empire  waves  proudly  over 
Omdurman.  B}^  its  side  is  the  flag 
of  the  Khedive  of  Egypt.  The 
natives,  who  have  suffered  long  and  deeply  from  the  cruel 
despotism  of  the  Khalifa,  will  soon  learn  to  rejoice  in  the 
blessings  to  be  enjoyed  by  obedience  to  the  laws  of  a  benefi- 
cent and  permanent  government.  Christianity  is  at  the 
foundation  of  England's  greatness,  and  I  do  not  think  I  am 
far  wrong  when  I  say  that  Christian  influences  will  follow  in 
the  wake  of  her  reconquest  of  the  Soudan.  The  victory 
at  Khartoom  was  but  the  beginning  of  the  end — the  divine 
will — -the  Christianizing  of  the  Soudan.  Mahdism  sounded 
its  own  death  knell  when  Gordon  was  murdered  on  the 
26th  of  January,  1885.  The  fiendish  work  on  that  memora- 
ble day  acted  upon  the  British  government  as  a  mighty  in- 
centive to  win  back  the  Soudan  to  civilization  and  avenge 
the  death  of  the  man  the  whole  Christian  world  loved. 
To-day  the  pages  of  civilization's  history  are  illumed  with 
the  record  of  one  of  the  most  brilliant  achievements  the 
world  has  ever  seen  ;  and  the  monster  of  Mahdism,  with 
its  fanaticism,  its  cruelty,  ignorance,  and  treachery,  is  wiped 

out.     The  hosts  of  the  once  great  Khalifa  are  dead  or  scat- 

6r>i 


652  The  Flaming  Torch 

tered,  his  kingdom  and  country  are  his  no  more,  and  even 
his  ill-gotten  wealth  which  he  had  carefully  hidden  away  in 
the  desert  is  a  reward  of  his  conquerors. 

The  reconquest  of  the  Soudan  actually  began  in  1882, 
when  Sir  Evelyn  Wood  was  commissioned  by  Lord  Dufferin 
to  organize  a  new  army  in  Egypt.  The  achievements  of  the 
Egyptian  soldiers  before  Omdurman  tell  the  world  how  well 
Sir  Evelyn's  work  has  been  done.  Lord  Dufferin  was  not 
satisfied  that  Egypt  should  only  have  a  new  army,  but  he 
personally  entered  into  the  work  of  reorganizing  Eg}'pt's 
government,  and  left  no  stone  unturned  to  strengthen  her, 
politically  and  financially,  so  that  she  might  one  day  regain 
possession  of  the  provinces  she  had  lost.  Lord  Dufferin 
landed  at  Alexandria  November  7,  1882,  and  at  once  com- 
menced the  arduous  work  of  reorganization  which  was  to  be 
her  salvation.  And  on  the  ancient  Nile,  whose  history  is  the 
history  of  empires  lost  and  won,  whose  age  is  obscured  in 
the  dim  shadows  of  the  past,  a  new  and  better  civilization 
has  begun.  It  is  this  same  great  and  ideal  civilization  which 
has  marched  with  irresistible  force  to  the  equator  and 
driven  before  it  the  malevolent  fanaticism  w^iich  has,  alas  ! 
too  long  made  blacker  the  shadows  of  darkest  Africa  and 
steeped  them  with  the  hue  of  human  blood. 

The  slaughter  of  a  few  thousand  dervishes,  who  fol- 
lowed their  master  in  blind  faith,  does  not  complete  the 
avenging  of  Gordon.  It  was  a  grim  and  ghastly  sacrifice, 
and  enough,  surel}',  to  satisfy  all  natural  desires  of  venge- 
ance. The  genuine  work  of  compensation,  however,  must 
begin  where  Gordon  was  cut  off.  As  the  Soudan  flourished 
before  Mohammed  Ahmed  was  forced  by  the  Egyptians  to 
leave  the  island  of  Abba,  whither  he  had  retired  to  compel 
the  indignant  Arabs  to  salute  him  as  their  Saviour — the 
Mahdi — so  shall  it  flourish  once  more.  Neither  native  igno- 
rance nor  Egyptian  corruption  must  again  be  allowed  su- 
premacy in  this  land  of  promise.  Dinka,  Shilluk,  and  a  few 
other  tribesmen,  who  have  suffered  from  the  cruel  oppres- 
sion of  the  Khalifa,  greatly  assisted  Gordon  and  were  honored 


Egypt  and  the  Soudan 


In  Darkest  Africa  655 

and  beloved  by  him.  Let  peace,  security,  and  just  govern- 
ment be  given  to  these  at  once.  Whether  Eg)-ptians  can 
govern  themselves,  or  not  England  is  fully  conscious  of  her 
responsibility,  and  will  never  dream  of  permitting  her  noble 
and  far-reaching  work  on  the  Nile  to  be  injured,  shadowed, 
or  retarded.  England  will  protect  the  millions  of  grateful 
human  souls  of  the  Soudan  as  she  will  those  of  Egypt,  and 
give  them  what  they  have  never  had  hitherto^untainted 
justice,  pure  administration,  and  a  permanent  government. 

A  hne(  r/s?n;u^  of  the  chief  events  which  have  taken  place 
in  Egypt  and  the  Soudan  during  the  past  twenty-three  years 
is  an  historical  record  of  unusual  interest.  In  November, 
1875,  the  Khedive  of  Egypt  was  in  great  financial  need,  and 
the  British  government  responded  by  purchasing  177,000 
Suez  Canal  shares  from  him  for  ^4,000,000  sterling,  and 
Egypt  was  saved  from  bankruptcy.  On  the  26th  of  June, 
1879,  this  same  Khedive  was  deposed  and  exiled  to  Naples, 
and  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  Mohammed  Tewfik.  In 
1 88 1  the  Mahdi's  influence  began  at  Abba  Island  (above 
Khartoom  on  the  Nile).  On  the  9th  of  September,  188 1,  the 
notorious  military  revolt  under  Arabi  Pasha,  at  Cairo,  took 
place.  In  May,  1882,  the  combined  fleets  of  England  and 
France  gathered  at  Alexandria.  June  ii,  1882,  will  ever 
be  memorable  for  the  rising  at  Alexandria,  and  the  mas- 
sacre of  Europeans.  In  the  same  month  the  conference  of 
the  Powers  took  place  at  Constantinople.  July  11,  one 
month  after  the  massacre  of  Europeans,  the  British  fleet 
bombarded  Alexandria.  On  the  27th  of  the  same  month  the 
British  government  voted  a  credit  for  the  suppression  of 
disorder  in  Egypt,  and  two  days  later  the  French  Chamber 
of  Deputies  refused  a  credit  for  the  same  purpose,  and  im- 
mediately afterward  the  French  fleet  withdrew  to  Port  Said. 
On  the  loth  of  August,  the  month  following,  the  British 
troops  landed  at  Alexandria,  and  five  days  later  Sir  Garnet 
Wolseley  arrived  to  take  command.  On  the  25th  the 
enemy's  camp  was  captured.  On  the  28th  the  battle  of  Kas- 
sassin    took  place,   ami   fifteen   da}-s  afterward    the    famous 


656  The  Flaming  Torch 

battle  of  Tel  el  Kebir  was  fought  before  sunrise,  resulting 
in  a  splendid  victory  for  the  British.  At  this  battle  Sir 
Garnet  Wolseley  advanced  his  entire  force  to  within  one  day's 
march  of  Arabi's  intrenchments,  which  he  had  ascertained 
by  careful  reconnoissance  to  be  very  formidable,  determined 
upon  the  night  march  which  enabled  him  to  win  the  battle. 
"  To  have  attacked  so  strong  a  position,"  says  Sir  Garnet, 
"  by  daylight  with  the  troops  I  could  place  in  line  would 
have  entailed  very  great  loss.  I  resolved,  therefore,  to  at- 
tack before  daybreak,  doing  the  six  miles  which  intervened 
between  my  camp  and  the  enemy's  position  in  the  dark." 
At  one  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  orders  were  given  in  low 
tones  to  the  troops,  and  they  marched  onward,  the  sound  of 
their  footsteps  being  deadened  by  the  sand.  "  The  silence 
was  broken  only  by  the  occasional  clash  of  steel.  The  cer- 
tainty that  the  great  struggle  would  commence  with  dawn,  and 
the  expectation  that  at  any  moment  we  might  be  challenged 
by  the  Bedouin  horsemen  far  out  in  the  plain  in  front  of  the 
enemy,  all  combined  to  make  it  an  impressive  march,  and  one 
which  none  who  shared  in  it  can  ever  forget.  By  early 
dawn  the  troops  were  within  the  enemy's  lines.  Swiftly 
and  silently  the  men  moved  to  the  attack.  No  word  was 
spoken,  no  shot  was  fired  until  within  three  hundred  yards 
of  the  enemy's  earthworks,  nor  up  to  that  time  did  a  sound 
of  the  Egyptian  lines  betoken  that  they  were  aware  of  the 
presence  of  their  assailants."  Then  an  awful  fire  burst 
forth  from  the  intrenchments,  and  the  Highlanders  dashed 
forward.  In  a  few  moments  Tel  el  Kebir  was  won  and 
Arabi  had  fled.  On  the  next  day  Cairo,  with  its  27,000 
fanatics  and  a  citadel  garrisoned  by  10,000  men,  was  sur- 
rendered to  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley.  On  the  15th  he  entered 
Cairo  and  was  received  with  rejoicing  by  the  people.  He 
telegraphed  to  London :  "  The  war  is  over,  send  no  more 
troops  to  Egypt."  Lord  Dufferin  arrived  at  Alexandria 
November  7,  and  Arabi  was  tried  by  court-martial  in  De- 
cember and  sentenced  to  death.  This  sentence,  however, 
was  afterward  commuted  to  exile  to  the  island  of  Ceylon. 


In  Darkest  Africa 


657 


At  the  time  that  England  had  won  her  way  to  Cairo  the 
Mahdi  was  besieging  El  Obeid,  the  capital  of  Kordofan. 
Six  months  afterward  the  Mahdi  was  victorious  and  Kor- 
dofan was  lost  to  Egypt.  In  October,  1882,  Arabi's  dis- 
banded soldiers  went  to  Khartoom,  officered  by  English- 
men, to  fight  the  Mahdists.  The  recruitment  was  not 
popular,  and  the  men  went  unwillingly,  and  in  March,  1883, 
General  Hicks,  a  famous  Indian  veteran,  with  nine  Euro- 
pean officers,  found  himself  before  Khartoom  at  the  head 
of  an  army  of  ten  thousand  disconsolate  men  ;  but  the  worst 
of  all  was  that  intrigue  and  jealousy,  fostered  by  the  offi- 


Cattle  Captured  from  the  Enemy 

cials  at  Khartoom,  surrounded  him  on  every  hand.  The 
general  resigned,  but  was  at  once  appointed  to  the  chief 
command  of  the  army  in  the  intended  expedition  for  the 
relief  of  El  Obeid.  He  started  from  Khartoom  a  week  be- 
fore the  battle  of  Tel  el  Kebir.  On  the  5th  of  November, 
1883,  Hicks'sarmy,  suffering  greatly  from  thirst  and  fatigue, 
was  attacked  by  the  Mahdi  thirty  miles  from  El  Obeid. 
Hicks  formed  his  men  into  squares  for  the  defense,  but  the 
Arabs,  issuing  in  great  numbers  from  the  surrounding 
woods,  charged  with  savage  yells,  completely  encircling 
Hicks's    small     arm\'.     Terrible    confusion    prevailed,     the 

squares  even  firing  on  each  other  in  their  fright.     The  mas- 
42 


658  The  Flaming  Torch 

sacre  which  followed  was  too  awful  for  description.  Hicks 
himself  was  the  last  to  fall,  fighting  until  his  revolver  was 
empty  and  his  sword  fell  from  his  hand. 

From  Dongola  to  the  equator  and  from  the  Red  Sea  to 
the  confines  of  the  Sahara  the  news  of  the  Mahdist  victory 
spread,  and  the  fanatics  believed  that  the  true  Mahdi  had 
appeared.  Britain's  plans  were  frustrated  for  a  time,  and 
the  Mahdi,  elated  with  his  victory,  sent  Osman  Digna,  a 
former  merchant  and  trader  at  Suakin,  to  the  tribes  between 
the  Nile  and  the  Red  Sea,  as  his  emir  and  apostle.  Sinkat 
and  Tokar,  with  their  Egyptian  garrisons,  were  surrounded 
and  cut  off.  On  November  4,  1883,  Mahmud  Pasha  Taher 
led  an  expedition  consisting  of  550  men  for  the  relief  of 
Tokar,  but  in  an  hour  after  they  had  left  Suakin  they  were 
attacked  by  150  of  Osman's  dervishes  and  completely  de- 
feated; 153  of  Taher's  men  were  killed,  including  Com- 
mander Lynedock  Moncrieff,  the  British  consul.  Kordofan 
lost,  the  route  to  Suakin  and  Berber  blocked,  dismay  in  Cairo, 
and  pandemonium  at  Suakin.  General  Valentine  Baker  was 
at  once  given  command  of  2,000  Egyptian  infantry,  520 
cavalry,  and  100  volunteers  from  the  European  police  force, 
and  ordered  to  the  relief  of  Tokar.  He  had  ten  English 
officers,  and  the  world-famous  Colonel  Burnaby  joined  the 
expedition  as  a  volunteer.  On  the  4th  of  February,  1884, 
Baker  marched  from  Trinkitat,  south  of  Suakin,  at  the  head 
of  3,700  men.  He  was  attacked  near  the  wells  of  El  Teb ; 
his  cavalry  were  driven  in,  and  the  infantrx',  panic-stricken, 
were  unable  to  move.  Although  a  square  was  at  once 
formed,  it  was  of  no  avail ;  the  dervishes  rushed  on  to  it, 
and  the  Egyptians  became  utterly  demoralized.  Baker  was 
defeated,  with  a  loss  of  two  thousond  three  hundred  Egyp- 
tians and  eleven  European  officers. 

Egypt  and  England  were  now  face  to  face  with  disaster 
on  the  Nile  as  well  as  on  the  Red  Sea.  The  empire  of  the 
Mahdi  extended  about  six  hundred  miles  up  the  Nile  from 
Khartoom,  including  Kordofan,  Darfur,  and  Darfertit  on  the 
west,  and  all  Sennaar  on  the   east  to  Abyssinia,  and  to  the 


In  Darkest  Africa 


659 


Suakin  district,  on  the  Red  Sea,  in  tlie  northeast.  About 
this  time  Slatin  Bey  was  in  El  Fasher.  Even  there  Mah- 
dism  had  penetrated.  When  he  learned  of  Hicks's  defeat 
and  Baker's  defeat,  and  that  the  entire  country  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  Mahdi,  he  concluded  that  his  only  hope  of 
saving  his  life  was  in  surrender.  He  surrendered  to  the 
Mahdi  at  El  Obeid  and  accompanied  him  to  Khartoom. 
On  the  death  of  the  Mahdi  he  was  made  a  Mulazim,  or  one 


'''- c 


View  of  Tunis 

of    the    bodyguard    of    the    Klialifa  Abdulla,   remaining  at 
Omdurman  until  his  memorable  escape. 

At  this  juncture  England  decided  to  take  upon  herself 
the  responsibility  of  the  relief  of  the  eastern  Soudan,  The 
Egyptians  had  measured  their  strength  against  the  der- 
vishes and  failed.  British  regiments  of  the  line  were  now 
to  measure  their  strength  with  the  dervishes  and  the  war- 
riors of  Osman  Digna.  There  could  be  no  doubt  of  the 
ultimate  result,  but  the  experiences  of  the  next  few  months 
were    full    of    surprises    for    the    British    government.      Sir 


660  The  Flaming  Torch 

Gerald  Graham,  at  the  head  of  4,000  British  troops,  landed 
at  Trinkitat,  near  Suakin,  and  marched  on  Tokar — guns, 
horses,  and  camels  supplied  by  the  Egyptian  army.  At  the 
wells  of  El  Teb  he  encountered  Osman  Digna  and  his  horde 
of  dervishes,  and  the  British  soldiers  learned  for  the  first 
time  what  a  charge  of  dervishes  really  meant — charging 
with  sword  and  spear  and  shield,  sometimes  in  groups, 
sometimes  singly,  continuing  for  half  an  hour  to  hurl  them- 
selves against  the  glistening  bayonets  and  deluge  of  bullets 
and  fire.  The  dervishes  were  finally  defeated,  and  the  guns 
which  Baker  had  lost  in  his  recent  defeat  were  recaptured. 
Baker,  who  had  accompanied  Graham  in  this  expedition, 
was  wounded.  March  13  found  Graham  and  his  victorious 
troops  at  Tamaai,  where  Osman  Digna  had  his  headquarters. 
This  time  there  was  a  fiercer  battle  than  before,  the  enemy 
being  in  greater  force.  One  of  the  British  squares  was 
broken  by  the  terrific  rush  of  the  dervishes  and  forced 
back.  Supported  by  the  other  square,  however,  they  ral- 
lied, and  the  battle  was  finally  won,  with  the  destruction  of 
the  enemy's  camp.  The  British  loss,  however,  was  357  men 
and  33  officers. 

For  the  third  time  General  Gordon  went  to  Khartoom, 
arriving  there  on  the  i8th  of  February,  1884.  History's 
record  of  the  i8th  of  the  following  September  is  stained 
with  blood.  Colonel  Stewart,  Mr.  Power,  and  M.  Herbin 
were  murdered  at  Hebbeh  on  that  day.  On  the  29th  Lord 
Wolseley  departed  from  Cairo  to  the  front,  and  November 
14  the  main  body  of  the  army  arrived  at  Dongola.  On  the 
8th  of  January,  the  following  year.  Sir  Herbert  Stewart  be- 
gan his  famous  march  across  the  desert.  On  the  17th  the 
battle  of  Abu  Klea  was  fought,  and  two  days  later  the  bat- 
tle of  Gubat.  On  the  24th  Sir  Charles  Wilson  started  out 
for  Khartoom,  but  two  days  afterward  Khartoom  fell,  and 
the  civilized  world  stood  aghast,  for  Gordon  was  murdered. 

On  the  loth  of  February,  1885,  a  battle  took  place  at  Kir- 
bekan,  and  on  the  22d  of  March  a  more  important  engage- 
ment   occurred  near    Suakin.       This    was    called    McNeil's 


In  Darkest  Africa 


661 


Zeriba.  On  the  3d  of  .Vpril  Grahani  was  greatly  disap- 
pointed because  the  enemy,  after  some  skirmishing  near 
Tamaai,  vanished  among  the  hills,  where  they  could  not  well 
be  followed. 

"  After  the  fall  of  Khartoom  the  Mahdi  took  his  first 
respite  from  the  wars  by  which  his  empire  had  been  created."" 
What  many  would  look  upon  as  the  judgment  of  God,  how- 


Expedition  Crossing  a  Palm  Tree  Bridge 


ever,  visited  him  and  his  people.  A  plague  of  smallpox 
came  upon  them,  and  the  average  deaths  for  a  time  were 
about  three  thousand  a  week  in  Omdurman  and  its  imme- 
diate neighborhood.  The  Mahdi  himself  fell  ill,  and  six 
months  after  the  murder  of  Gordon  he  was  dead.  A  grave 
was  dug  for  him  beneath  the  bed  on  which  he  died,  and, 
having  been  wrapped  in  a  shroud  after  the  Moslem  fashion, 
the  body  was  sprinkled  with  perfumes  and  lowered  into  it 
amid  great  wailing  and  lamentations  of  the  people.     "  Ya 


662  The  Flaming  Torch 

Rahman,  Ya  Rahini  !  "'  ("  O  gracious  God!  ")   was  the  con- 
stantly repeated  cry. 

Since  no  man  appeared  who  was  brave  and  bold  enough 
to  place  himself  at  the  head  of  the  anti-Mahdists,  Khalifa 
Abdullah,  at  Taashi,  succeeded  the  Mahdi  in  accordance 
with  a  proclamation  made  by  him  long  before  his  death. 

Another  decree  had  also  been  made  by  the  Mahdi, 
which  was  that  Eg3'pt  should  be  invaded,  and  the  Khalifa 
tried  to.  obey  the  decree.  A  battle  was  fought  at  Ginnis 
on  December  30,  1885,  resulting  in  a  loss  of  nearly  one 
thousand  men  to  the  Mahdists,  while  the  British  only  lost 
forty.  Although  the  ardor  of  the  new  Khalifa  received 
a  severe  check  at  Ginnis,  Wad  el  Njumi,  the  generjil  of  the 
Mahdist  army,  departed  from  Omdurman  in  April,  1886,  but 
before  going  he  burned  his  house  to  the  ground,  vowing 
that  he  would  never  return  again  until  he  had  conquered 
Egypt.  A  second  invasion  was  checked  for  a  time  by  a 
revolution  breaking  out  at  Darfur. 

The  unexpected  happened  in  April,  1887,  ^vhen  the 
Khalifa  sent  envoys  to  Wady  Haifa,  bearing  letters  to  the 
Queen  of  England,  the  Sultan  of  Turkey,  and  the  Khedive. 
They  were  permitted  to  present  the  letter  to  the  Khedive 
at  Cairo.  It  was  a  long  letter  advising  his  highness  to  sub- 
mit to  the  Khalifa  or  expect  invasion  of  his  countr}-,  etc. 
The  letter  to  the  Sultan  was  similar,  and  Mahdist  prayer 
books  were  sent  with  each  letter.  There  can  be  no  more 
extraordinary  letter  in  the  whole  collection  of  British  curios 
than  the  one  addressed  to  her  majesty  Queen  Victoria. 
"  From  the  servant  of  God  whose  strength  is  in  the  might 
of  his  omnipotent  hand,  the  successor  of  the  Mahdi,  peace 
be  upon  him,  the  Khalifa,  Abdullah  Ben  Mohammed,  the 
successor  of  the  faithful,  to  the  beloved  of  her  people, 
Victoria,  Queen  of  England.  If  thou  hast  thought  in  thy 
error  that  the  hosts  of  the  Mahdi,  which  stand  in  the  strength 
of  the  law  of  Mohammed,  were  as  the  soldiers  of  Ahmed 
Pasha  Arabi — among  whom  worldly  deceit  had  entered  so  that 
they  were  turned  aside  from  their  faith,  and  the  banner  was 


From  Punch 


Gordon  Avenged! 


In  Darkest  Africa  665 

turned  from  its  victor)-,  so  thou  wast  enabled  to  gain  posses- 
sion of  the  hind  of  Egypt,  and  they  became  the  lowest  of 
captives,  unable  to  defend  themselves — this  is  a  vain  thought 
and  a  futile  delusion.  For  the  men  of  the  Mahdi  are  men  of 
iron.  God  gave  them  a  nature  to  love  death.  He  made  it 
sweeter  to  them  than  cool  water  to  the  thirst)'."  After  much 
more  of  a  similar  strain  he  concludes  this  wonderful  missive 
by  telling  her  majesty  that  if  she  dos  not  submit  to  him  the 
Lord  of  hosts  will  raze  her  house  to  the  ground  and  let  her 
"  taste  of  sorrow."  The  letters  were  returned  to  the  bearers 
and  they  were  sent  back  to  Omdurman  with  the  verbal  mes- 
sage that  their  majesties  would  not  deign  to  accept  the 
Khalifa's  overtures. 

Osman  Digna,  with  a  horde  of  his  wild  warriors,  was  back 
again  in  the  neighborhood  of  Suakin  in  January,  1888,  de- 
termined to  attack  the  Amarartribe,  who  were  not  friendly 
to  the  Mahdi.  He  made  his  headquarters  at  Handub,  a  few 
miles  to  the  northwest.  Colonel  Kitchener,  the  present 
Sirdar,  was  at  Suakin  at  the  time,  and  made  arrangements 
for  a  sudden  attack  on  Osman.  On  the  17th  he  attacked 
the  Mahdist  zeriba  at  night,  when  the  faithful  were  at  prayer. 
The  zeriba  was  captured,  but  Osman  managed  to  escape 
among  the  hills.  Colonel  Kitchener  was  severely  wounded 
in  the  face  during  this  engagement.  In  March,  1888,  the 
Mahdists  besieged  Suakin,  establishing  their  cam,p  within 
two  thousand  yards  of  the  gates.  This  continued  until  De- 
cember 20,  when  a  determined  attack  was  made  by  three 
Soudanese  regiments,  which  were  marched  to  within  two 
hundred  yards  of  the  enemy.  They  rushed  the  position,  and 
five  hundred  dervishes  lay  dead  in  the  trenches,  while  the 
remainder  were  driven  off.  In  1889  Njumi,  the  Khalifa's 
general,  received  permission  to  make  a  second  invasion  of 
Egypt.  On  the  morning  of  August  3, when  this  mistaken  brave 
man  beheld  the  British  and  Eg)^ptian  army  arrayed  to  meet 
him  and  his  soldiers,  he  exclaimed,  "  We  must  all  stand 
prepared  to  meet  our  Maker  to-day."  These  words  were 
prophetic,  for  on  that  day  he  died  in  the  famous  battle  of 


666  The  Flaming  Torch 

Toski,  wilh  many  hundreds  of  his  men.  The  bravest  fanat- 
ical leader  of  the  Mahdists  was  slain,  and  the  year  1889 
closed  on  the  frontier  in  peace.  Peace,  in  fact,  reigned 
supreme  until  February  19,  1 89 1,  when  the  battle  of  Afafit, 
was  fought  and  Osman  Digna's  camp  was  captured.  Osman 
again  escaped  to  Kassala.  After  this  battle  the  fame  of  the 
Mahdi  wavered  in  the  Suakin  district. 

•  No  blood  was  shed  in  Egypt  for  the  next  five  years.  In 
those  five  years  her  soldiers  were  trained  and  the  army 
strengthened  in  every  way  possible.  The  reconquest  of  the 
Soudan  was  a  foregone  conclusion,  and  Colonel  Kitchener, 
who  had  been  appointed  Sirdar  of  the  Egyptian  army,  was 
destined  to  avenge  the  death  of  Gordon  and  crush  the  subtle 
power  of  Mahdism. 

The  time  when  the  grand  movement  for  the  reconquest 
of  the  Soudan  commenced  was  when  Italy  suffered  her 
terrible  defeat  in  Abyssinia.  This  was  the  battle  of  Adowa, 
on  February  29,  1896.  Sir  H.  Kitchener  left  for  the  front 
on  March  27,  1896.  On  the  ist  of  May  the  dervishes  were 
defeated  at  Akasheh,  on  June  7  the  great  battle  of  Firket 
was  fought,  and  on  the  23d  of  September  Dongola  was  re- 
occupied  by  the  British.  In  1897  and  1898  the  Nubian 
Desert  Railway  from  Wady  Haifa  to  Abu  Hamed  and  the 
Atbara  River  was  constructed  under  the  direction  of  the 
Sirdar.  On  the  7th  of  August,  1897,  Abu  Hamed'was  cap- 
tured, and  on  the  7th  of  September  Berber  was  reoccupied. 
Metemmeh  was  bombarded  October  25,  and  on  Christmas 
Day,  1897,  Kassala  was  transferred  by  the  Italians  to  Egypt 
and  British  protection.  On  April  8,  1898,  the  battle  of 
Atbara  took  place,  and  in  August  the  British  and  Egyptian 
troops  were  concentrated  for  an  advance  on  Khartoom. 
Metemmeh  was  occupied  by  the  Sirdar  on  the  21st  of 
August,  1898,  and  on  the  2d  of  September,  1898,  the  great 
battle  was  fought  which  forever  decided  the  fate  of  Mahdism 
and  the  Soudan,     This  was  the  battle  of  Omdurman. 

A  Moslem  writer  in  The  Nineteenth  Century,  while  regret- 
ting the  wholesale  slaughter  of  the  Mahdists  at  Omdurman, 


In  Darkest  Africa 


667 


which  he  gives  as  eleven  thousand  killed,  and  sixteen 
thousand  wounded,  portrays  in  plain  language  the  benefits 
which  Islam  will  enjoy  through  the  British  conquest.  "  The 
greatest  service  to  the  reunion  of  Islam  is  being  done  by 
the  government  of  the  queen,"  he  declares,  and  foreshadows 
a  grand  amalgamation  of  the  \-arious  sects  of  Mohammedan- 
ism by  the  aid  of  the  Sultan  of  Turkey.  It  will  not  be  the 
policy  of  Great  Britain  to  interfere  with  the  Moslem's  re- 
ligion, but  it  will  be  the  duty  of  the  Christian  world  to  send 
the  search  light  of  truth  into  the  darkest  corner  of  the 
Soudan. 


Military  Occupation 


INDEX 


Abeokuta,  401. 
Abyssinia,  199,  33i.  6il. 
Abyssinia,  Empress  of,  609. 
Abyssinia  Mission,  375,  376 
Acacia  tree,  27. 
African    Lakes    Company, 

595- 
African  Zion  Methodist  Church,  406. 
Africanus,  517,  518,  521. 
Albert  Edward  Nyanza,  191. 
Albert  Nyanza,  181,  193. 
Alexandria,  332,  392,  615,  655. 
Algoa  Bay,  335. 
Almeda,  Voyages  of,  62. 
Ambacca  heathen's  letter,  483-485. 
American  Baptists,  427,  428. 
American  Board,  361,  416. 
Americo-Liberians,  405,  453,  558. 
Ammon,  Shrine  of,  33. 
Ancestral  tombs,  33. 
Andavourante,  3S9. 

Angola,  423,  467,  475-479.  491.  592 

Angolans,  226. 

Ant,  Habits  of,  30. 

Ant  torture,  30. 

Antananarivo,  385. 

Antonio  Gonsalvo,  Voyages  of,  66. 

Apostolic  missionaries,  332. 

Arab  cities,  42. 

Arabian  colonization,  46. 

Arabs,  Conquest  of,  42. 

Arabs,  Early  possessions  of,  42,  43. 

Arnot,    Frederick    Stanley,    445,    446. 

447.  448. 
Aruwimi  River,  192,  427. 
Ashantee,  154,  166,  211,  245,  409. 
Assouan,  392. 
Atlas  Mountains,  34. 
Atlas  Mountains,  Natives  of,  34. 


Badagry  people,  401. 
Bailundu,  423,  424,  425. 
Baker,    General   Valentine,   658 

660. 
Baker,  Speke,  and  Grant,  189. 


Balolos,  429. 
Balunda,  447 

Ba-Mangwatos,  1S3,  34S,  626. 
Bambarra,  Kingdom  of,  So,  98. 
|Bambarra  Mountains,  27. 
373.    592,  Bambouk  (country  of  gold),  81,  82. 
'  Banana,  500,  509,  560. 
Ba-N'thu,  254,  265. 
Bantu,  226,  227,  623. 
Banza  Manteka,  428. 
Banza  Yanga,  507. 
Baptist  Missions,  405. 
Baralongs,  350. 
Barberton,  Transvaal,  610. 
Barraconda,  Falls  of,  70,  74. 
Barca  Gana,  142,  147- 
Barotse,  183,  437.  439-  44°,  441- 
Barraka  Station,  329,  559. 
Barrow,  213. 
Barrow,  Travels  of,  93. 
Barth  and  Overvveg,  180. 
Bartholomew  Diaz,  332. 
Barttelot,  Major,  193,  194. 
Basutoland,  437,  438,  440. 
Basutos,  358,  366,  555. 
Batanga,  419. 

Bechuanas,  339,  340,  349.  35°,  361.  55S 
627. 

Begharmis,  146. 

Bemov,  guest  of  Portugal,  55. 

Ben  Ali,  89. 

Benguela,  180,  423,  448. 

Benin,  56. 

Benito  River,  419. 

Benovvm,  99. 

Berlin  Society,  359. 

Betsileo,  389. 

Bight  of  Benin,  409. 

Bihe,  423,  451,  627. 

Blantyre  Mission,  373. 

Bloemfontein,  574. 

Bodson,  Captain,  452. 

Boers,  341,  437.  575.  ^12. 

Bolobo,  427. 

iBoma,  ^02,  503. 
669 


359. 


670 


Index 


Boiuloii,  96,  97,  164. 

Bonny  Mission,  402,  405. 

Boo  Khalloom,  133,  136,  13S. 

Boothe,  Rev.  Joseph,  367. 

Bornou,  Kingdom  of,   50,  89,  157,  208, 

623. 
Bosgesman  Hottentots,  93. 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  385, 

397- 
British   Central   Africa,    373,   374,  594, 

595- 
Brown,  Rev.  George  S.,  513,  514,  515. 
Bubaker,    103. 
Bukar  Sano,  71,  72. 
Bullom  Tribe,  399. 
Bulu  country,  419. 
Buluwayo,  43S,  557,605,  611,  615. 
Burial  sacritices,  272. 
Burr,  Rev.  Bradley  L.,  490,  50S,  509. 
Burton  and  Cameron,  185. 
Bushmen,  182,  335,  344,  618. 
Butterworth  Station,  349,  578,  581. 

Cabral,  Voyages  of,  62. 

Cairo,  88,  117,  390,  391,  392,  615. 

Calabash  tree,  24. 

Camel,  Introduction  of,  43, 

Cameron,  27,  180,  189. 

Campbell,    Captain    John,   Travels  of, 

118,  124. 
Cannibalism,  645,   646. 
Cape  Blanco,  76. 
Cape  Bojado,  66. 
Cape  Coast  Castle,  409. 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  61,  62. 
Cape  of  Tempests,  61. 
Cape  Palmas,  458,   516,    520,  525,  537. 
Cape  Town,  67,  365,  557,  568,  615. 
Carthage,  34,  39,  332. 
Cassada,  200. 

Cavalla  River,  516,  517,  521. 
Celewayo,  278,  281,  282. 
Chatelain,    Heli,    226,    296,    622,    625, 

626,  634. 
Christian  Missionary  Alliance,  436. 
Church  in  the  Wilderness,  475. 
Church  Missionary    Society,   375,  376, 

378,  383,  389,  399- 
Cinyps,  32. 

Clapperton,  Explorations  of,  71. 
Clarkesburg,  350. 
Coanza  River,  468,  469,  557. 
Coffee  culture,  367,  407. 
Coillard.  Francois,  437,  443,  444. 
Collins,  .Miss  Susan,  565. 
Comjiagnon,  Travels  of,  Si. 
Congo,  58,  59,  123,  181,  204,  491,  498, 

504,  560,  583,  595,  617. 


Congo  Balolo  Mission,  429. 

Congo  Conference,  566. 

Congo  Free  State,    191,  192,  445,  452, 

590,  592,  608,  609. 
Coomassie,  211,  246,  247,  608. 
Corisco,  416. 
Corisco  Island,  416. 
Cowan,  Dr.,  Travels  of,  94. 
Cowrie  currency,  207. 
Cox,  Melville  B.,  405, 
Creek  Town  Mission,  221. 
Crocodile  sacrifice,  266. 
Crowther,    Bishop    Samuel,    399,    401, 

402. 
Cunga,  469. 

Curnick,  Rev.  Theodore  Robert,  578. 
Cust,  Dr.,  on  languages,  625. 
Cyrene,  32. 

Dahomey,  85,  154,  240,  241,  242. 
Davenport,  Dr.  Mary  Myers,  470. 
Day,  David  A.,  406,  407. 
De  Bellefords,  Colonel  Linant,  378. 
De  Brazza,  Count,  421,  591,  625. 
Denham    and    Clapperton    expedition, 

132. 
Denovan,  Lieutenant,  Travels  of,  94. 
Diaz,  Voyages  of,  61. 
Dibbie  Lake,  45. 
Diego  Cam,  Voyages  of,  56. 
Dingaan,  361. 

Diniz  Fernandez,  Discoveries  of,  54. 
Dodson,    Rev.    W.    P.,    492,   561,    562, 

565. 
Domboo  lakes,  207. 
Dondo,  469,  470,  484,  557. 
Dongola,   666. 
Du  Chaillu,  181. 
Dugganahs,  146. 
Durban,  180,  5S2. 
Dutch  settlements,  67. 

East  Africa  Mission,  375. 

East  London  Missionary  Institute,  426, 

428. 
Eckman,     Karl    V.,      545,     546,     549. 

550. 
Edwards,  the  pioneer,  344. 
Efik,  415. 
Efik  peoples,  212. 
Egbo  leopard  society,  231. 
Egypt,  37>  199.  604,  ^05. 
El  Obeid,  659. 

Emin  Pasha,  180,  181,  18S,  192,  194. 
English  Baptist  Mission,  429,  433. 
English  Universities  Mission,  374. 
ICsseker,  poison  nut,  232. 
Ethiopia,  37. 


^  i> 


Index 


671 


Etliiopian  eunuch,  332. 

Eubloky,  519. 

Eudoxus,  Explorations  of,  40. 

Fantees,  245,  410. 

Farim  chiefs,  82.. 

Fairali  Bay  College,  399. 

Fatinia,  Queen,  99,  103. 

Fellatas,  136,  148,  156. 

Fetichism,  226. 

Fez,  Mauritania,  43,  397. 

Fezzan,  1 17. 

Fingoes,  349. 

Fiot  translations,  436. 

Flint,  Rev.  William,  572. 

Folk  Tales  of  Angola,  301, 

Foreign  possessions,  597. 

Fortune,  T.  Thomas,  62S. 

Foulah  country,  79,  86,  124. 

Free  Methodist  Church,  405. 

Freeman,  Thomas  Birch,  409. 

Freetown,  400,  408. 

French  possessions,  589,  590,  591,  592, 

609. 
Frere,  Sir  Bartle,  376,  377. 
Frere  Town,  377. 
Friends,  Society  of,  389. 

Gaboon  River,  416. 

Gaika,  Chief,  347. 

Gal  la,  462. 

Galla  colonization,  360. 

Galla  country,  375. 

Gallam,  Territory  of,  80. 

Gambia  Mission,  408. . 

Gambia  River,  69,  72,  75,  113. 

C;an  N'Zambi,  479,  480,  483. 

Garenganze,  287,  445,  624 

Gebel  Assoud,  133. 

German    possessions,     593,    594,    606, 

627. 
Ghana,  District  of,  45. 
Gliana,  King  of,  43. 
Glenny,  Edward  H.,  394. 
Gnadendal,  334. 
Gobat.  Bisho]i,  375. 
Gold  Coast,  55,  408. 
Good,  Dr.,  420,  421,  422. 
Gordon,  378,  651,  652,  660,  663. 
Gordon,  Rev.  Charles  W.,  492. 
Govan,  William,  369. 
Govinia,  Falls  of,  80. 
Graham,  Sir  Gerald,  660. 
Gray,  Captain,  Travels  of,  127. 
Greig,  Peter,  368. 
Grenfell,  180,  429,  434,  4S9. 
Guinness,  Dr.  Harry,  430. 
Guinness,  H.  Grattan,  394,  426,  42S. 


Ilamites,  616,  620. 
Ilannington,  Bishop,  249,  380. 
Ilanno,  Expedition  of,  40. 
Harrison,  Dr.  James  H.,  508,  509. 
Hartzell,  Bishop  J.  C,  507,  556. 
Hector  Nunez,  69. 
Hereros,  359. 

Hermannsburg  Society,  360. 
Herodotus,  32. 
Hicks,  General,  657. 
Ilolub,  Dr.  Emil,  181,  254,  625. 
Holub,  Mrs.  Dr.  Emil,  1S4. 
Hope,  Henry,  l^iscoveries  of,  68. 
Horneman,  F.,  Travels  of,  116. 
Hottentot,  68,  182,  333,  335,  358,  617. 
Houghton,  Major,  Journeys  of,  90. 
Houssa,  148,  199,  203. 
Human  sacrifices,  240. 

Ibn  Batuta,  Journeys  of,  46. 
Idolatrous  worship,  234. 
Inhambane,  551,  554,  557. 
Isangila,  504. 
Italian  possessions,  596,  610. 

Jalonka  wilderness.  III. 

Jarra,  103. 

Jensen,  Grilles,  504,  508. 

Jewish  customs,  331. 

lillifree,  96. 

joar,  74. 

Jobson,  Richard,  Voyages  of,  69. 

Johannesburg,  365,  568,  572,  573. 

Johnson,  Elijah,  510,  513. 

Johnston,  Sir  Harry,  180,  185,  2S8,  294, 

594- 

Ju  Jura  Mountains,  393. 
Junker,  Dr.,  181. 

Kaarta,  104. 

Kaboon,  617. 

Kabyles,  393,  397. 

Kaffir  King  Gaika,  213. 

Kaffirs,    213,   216,   341,    342,   347,   349, 

36S,  61S,  627,  646,  647. 
Kakundy,  86. 
Kamoon,  151. 
Kannindongo,  423. 

Kano,  Kingdom  of,  44,  151,  206,  464, 
Karroo  plains.  62,  93,  571,  573. 
Kashna,  89,  152. 
Kassai,  18 1,  491,  492. 
Kassala,  666. 
Katanga,  445. 
Kenia,   180. 
Khnma,  347,  349,  439. 
Khartoom,    392,    651,    657,   660,    661, 

666. 


672 


Index 


Kilaneri,  374. 

Kildare,  Miss  Mary,  49S,  499,  500,  507. 

Kilima-Njaio,  24,  180,  376. 

Kimbeiley,  359,  365. 

Kimbeiley  diamond  fields,  639-648. 

Kimbundu,  565,  566. 

Kimpoko,  491,  580. 

King  Chaka,  162. 

King  Hodge,  457,  458,  459. 

King  Khama,  183,  1S4. 

King  M'tesa,  192,  378,  379,  380. 

King  M'wanga,  193,  249,  250,  380,  599. 

Kisulutini,  377. 

Kitchener,  Sirdar  of  Egypt,  665,  666. 

Koelle,  400. 

Koki,  3S3. 

Korannas,  93,  339,  629. 

Krapf,  John  Ludwig,  375,  376,  377. 

Kroo  Coast,  405. 

Kroomen,  517,  521,  526,  530,  533,  624. 

Kriiger,  President  Paul,  573,  574. 

Kuku,  Kingdom  of,  45. 

Kuruhman  River,  95. 

Kuvalli,  194. 

Kwa  Mouth,  181. 

Kwango  River,  181. 

La  Quess  River,  479,  480. 

Lado,  425,  615. 

Laffin,  Dr.  C.  J.,  423. 

Lagos  Mission,  402. 

Laing,  Major,  127,  163. 

Lake  Bangweolo,  177. 

Lake  Dilolo,  170. 

Lake  Leopold,  181. 

Lake  Liemba,  189. 

Lake  Maberie,  or  Dibbie,  80. 

Lake  Nyassa,  179,  373,  595. 

Lake  Tchad,  144,  180,  620. 

Lamiam,  Land  of,  45. 

Lamplough  Training  Institute,  581. 

Larsen,  Miss,    507. 

Lattako,  94,  121,  158. 

■Ledyard,  Travels  of,  87,  88. 

Legendary  lore,  296. 

Lenz,  Dr.  Oscar,  181. 

Leo  Africanus,  Travels  of,  49. 

Leopold,  King,  5S9,  591,  609. 

Leopoldville,  430. 

Leribe  Station,  440. 

Lewanika,  183,  443. 

Liberia,  405,  406,  510,  515,  557. 

Lichtenstein,  Dr.  Henry,  95. 

Livingstone,  David,  169,  341,  377,  565, 

567,  594,  625. 
Livingstone  Liland  Mission,  426,  435. 
Livingstone  Mission,  185,  370,  373. 
Loanda,  170,  458,  459,  468,  470,  561. 


Lobengula,  438,  439. 

Lofanza,  430,  431. 

Loggun,  207. 

Lombi  Mountains,  479. 

London    Missionary   Society,   334,  339, 

343,  361,  384. 
Lotus  tree,  27. 
Lovedale,  369. 

Lualaba   River,  174,  189,  191. 
Lucas,  Captivity  of,  88. 
Lulonga,  429,  430. 
Luluaburg,  491. 

Mackay,  Alexander,  368,  379. 

Mackenzie,  Bishop.  172,   370,  438,  594. 

Madagascar,  384,  607,  619. 

Mahdi,  letter  to  Queen  \'ictoria,  662. 

Mahdism,  651,  658. 

Mohammedan,    86,  88,    204,  205.  206, 

390,  398. 
Mohammedan  University,  43. 
Makololo,  170,  439. 
Malange,  330,  473,  474,  479. 
Mali,  Country  of,  46, 
Mandara,  142. 
Manica  gold  mines,  65. 
Manioc,  199,  203. 
Mantatees,  161,  162,  339. 
Mapoota  River,  162. 
Marriage  Customs,  218,  224,  225,  242, 

543- 
Martyrs  of  Madagascar,  386,  387. 
Ma-Rutse,  256,  519 
Masai  Land,  iSo,  3S0. 
Maslionas,  438,  627. 
Mashukulumbe,  183. 
Mason,  Rev.  Frederick,  351. 
Matadi,  42S,  429,  591. 
Matebele,  627. 
Matopa,  Country  of,  65. 
Mbade,  419. 

McLeod,  Writings  of,  85. 
Mead,  Miss  Bertha,  489. 
Mead,  Mrs.  Minnie,  491,  565. 
Mead,  Rev.  Samuel,  473,  480,  4S5,  489, 

492,  495,  496. 
Mead,  Rev.  William  H.,  492,  565. 
Medina,  96. 

Mediterranean  coast,  32. 
Melinda,  62,  65. 
Menelek,  Emperor,   60S,  611. 
Methodism  in  South  Africa,  356. 
Methodist  Industrial  Mission,  453. 
Methodist  Missions,  405. 
Miller,  Rev.  William  S.,  522,  565. 
Mimosa,  538. 
Mobanghi  River,  iSo. 
Mo9ambique,  62,  66,  592,  627. 


Index 


673 


Moffat,  Robert,  339,  340. 

Mombasa,   62.  65,  375. 

Monrovia,  405,  406,  510,  517,  558. 

Monstier  and  Zweifel,  180. 

Moorja,  105. 

Moravians,  332,  334,  399. 

Morijaii,  437. 

Morocco,  69,  393,  394,  397. 

Mosilikatzi,  361. 

Mossaniedes,  467. 

Mountains  of  the  Moon,  24. 

Mount  Kenia,  376. 

Msiri,  2S7,  445,  446,  44S,  45T. 

M'tesa,  Kin<^,  192,  37S,  379,  380. 

Mubundu,  425. 

Mukimljungu,  435. 

Munhall  Mission,  479,  480,  483. 

Murray,  Rev.  Andrew,  364. 

Naclitigal,  Dr.  CJustav,  180. 

Namaqualand,  335,  343,  359. 

Nasa,  383. 

Nasamones,  Visit  to,  38. 

Nasik  boys,  376. 

Nassau,  Dr.  Robert   H.,  416,  420,  422. 

Natakon,  Mines  of,  82. 

Negro  peoples.  Table  of,  621,  622. 

Nero,  Expedition  of,  41. 

Newth,  Rev.  John  A„  503. 

Nhangue-a-pepo,  470,  486. 

Niger  River,  80,  89,  iiS,  206,  402. 

Nile.   23,   32,  69,    179,    i8g,  191,  390, 

393,  619- 
Nile  overflow  theories,  34. 
Norris,  Travels  of,  85. 
North  Africa  Mission,  393,  394. 
Norwegian  Missionary  Society,  3S9. 
Nubia,  199. 

Nubian  Desert  railway,  666. 
Nugnez  Barreto,  Voyages  of,  65. 
Nuno  Tristran,  Discoveries  of,  54. 
Nyassaland,  607,  628. 
Nylander,  399. 

Ogowe  River,  181,  421. 

Ogun  River,  401. 

Old  Calabar,  211,  218,  231,  272,  415. 

Omdurman,  651,  652,  659,666. 

Ophir,  Zambesia,  41. 

Orange   Free  State,  359,  571,  572,  641. 

Orange  River,  571. 

Osman  Digna,  659,  660,  665,  666. 

Palabala,  428. 
Panda,  27S,  279,  2S0,  361. 
Paris  Society,  358,  422,  442. 
Park,  Mungo,  90,  96,  115,  215,  221. 
Pearse,  George,  394. 
43 


Peddie,  349. 

Peddie,  Major,  Expedition  of,  124. 

People  and  languages,  616-630. 

Pixiey,   Edward,  509. 

Pogge,  Wissman,  and  Wolf,  181. 

Political  partition,  590. 

Polygamy,  216. 

Pondos,  216,  365. 

Port  Elizaiieth,  349. 

Portuguese  possessions,  561,  607,  608. 

Pratt,  J.  S.,  517,  526. 

Pretoria,  361,  365,  573,  574,  575. 

Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  405. 

Quanga,  200. 

Queenstown,  575,  576,  606. 
Quiloa,  62,  66. 
(^uiteve,  Country  of,  65. 

Radama,  King  of  Madagascar,  3S5. 
Radama  II,  388. 

Ranavalona,  Queen,  385,  386,  387. 
Rasmussen,    Rev.    William,     503,    504, 

507.  508. 
Ravenstein's     political     division,   601- 

603. 
Rebmann,  John,  376. 
Reed,  Rev.  M.  Hunter,  436. 
Rene  Callie's  travels,  163,  164. 
Rhenish  Society,  349. 
Rhodes,  Hon.  Cecil,  574,  594,  615. 
Ricliards,    Rev.    Erwin   H.,   362,    551, 

554,  557- 
Richardson,  James,  180. 
Rino  Nunez,  86,  124. 
Ritchie  expedition,  127,  128. 
Revival  of  1866,  351. 
Roberts,  Bishop,  513. 
Rovuma  River,  172. 
Rubaga,  377. 
Rusizi  River,  189. 
Ruy  de  Sousa,  Voyages  of,  59. 

Sackatoo,  151,  152. 

Sahara,  23,  24,  33,  85,  181.,  206,  207. 

Saint  Louis,  76. 

Saint  Mary's  Island,  408. 

Saint  Paul's  River,  406. 

Salt  habitations,  33. 

Salt,  Travels  of,  66. 

Sankuru,  181. 

Sansanding,  107,  113. 

Saracens,   197. 

Sasstown,  536,  544,  546. 

.Safaspes,  Expedition  of,  38. 

.Schmidt,  George,  332,  333. 

Scotch  Missions,  368. 

Sego,  105,  106. 


674 


Index 


Self-support  financial  exhibit,  479.  ' 

Self-support,     Practical     principles    of,  I 

460. 
Semayla,  Mines  of,  82. 
Senegal,  55,  S5. 
Senegal  River,  6g,  76. 
Sennaar,  88. 

Sepopo,  254,  255,  257,  262. 
Serpa  Pinto,  180. 
Shaw,  Barnabas,  343,  347,  348. 
Shesheke,  254,  440. 
Shire   Highlands,    366,    367,  370.   595. 

596- 
Shire  River,  172,  178,  179. 
Shoa,  375. 

Shoshong,  183,  439,  440. 
Sierra   Leone,  368,  399,  400,  402,  408, 

608. 
Sieur  Brue,  Voyages  of,  79,  221. 
Silla,  108. 
Silva  Porto,  446. 
Simms,  Dr.,  427,  626. 
Sinoe  River,  526,  527,  530. 
Slatin  Pasha,  223,  659. 
Slave  Coast,  400. 
Slavery,    31,    67,    130,   400,   631,    633, 

635- 

Smith,  Amanda,  517,  522. 

Snape,  Rev.  William,  504. 

Sneuwrberg,  or  Snow  Mountains,  93. 

Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gos- 
pel, 389. 

Sofala,  65. 

Sokoto,  206. 

Somali,  401. 

Somerville,  Travels  of,  93. 

Soudan,  135,  223,  604.  616,  651,  652. 

South  Africa  General  Mission,  364. 

South  African  populations,  603. 

South  African  Republic,  361. 

South  African  States,  611. 

Spirit  worship,  289,  2go. 

Stairs,  Captain,  451. 

Stanley,  177,  185,  194,  377,  37S,  383, 
426,  427,  433,  587,  588,  598,  612, 
625,  635. 

Stanley  Falls,  427. 

Stanley  Pool,  434,  591,  592. 

Steamer  Anne  Taylor,  503,  509. 

Steamer  Henry  Reed,  426,  429. 

Steamer  Peace,  429,  434. 

Steamer  Pioneer,  429,  430. 

Steere,  Bishop,  594. 

Stewart,  James,  370,  374. 

Stibbs,  Captain  Bartholomew,  74,  75. 

Stockton,  Captain,  U.S.N.,  510. 

Strabo,  33. 

Suakin,  660,  665. 


Summers,  Dr.  William  R.,  470,  491. 
Svi'azieland,  365,  366. 
Swedish  Missions,  435. 

Tamarisk  tree,  27. 

Tambookies,  334,  348. 

Tanganyika,    174,    177,  180,    189,   376, 

594,  607. 
Tangier,  394,  397. 
Tataka,  520,  525. 
Taylor,  Dr.  Jennie  M.,  483. 
Tel  el  Kebir,  656. 
Tenda,  71. 

Teter,   Mrs.  J.  C,  501,  504. 
Teter,  Rev.  James  C,  501,  502. 
Thompson,   Rev.  James,  572. 
Thompson,     Richard,    Explorations  of, 

69,  158. 
Thomson,  Joseph,  180. 
Tibboo  country,  207. 
Timbuctoo,  49,  50,  69,  80,  1 14,  163. 
Tisheet  salt  mines,  90, 
Tocrur,  Kingdom  of,  44. 
Tokar,  658,  660. 
Tombaconda,  72. 
Tongas,  551. 
Toro,  383. 

Townsend,  Henrj',  401. 
Tozar,  Bishop,  179. 
Transmigration  theories,  237. 
Transvaal,  359,  366. 
Tripoli,  89,  132. 
Trutter,  Travels  of,  93. 
Tuaricks,  156,  214. 
Tuckey,  Captain,  Travels  of,  122. 
Turner,  Bishop  Henry,  406. 
Tushilange,  470. 
Tussoo  robbers,  368. 
Tyrwhit  expedition,  146. 

Uganda,   192,   249,   253,  376,  377,  379, 

380,  383,  596,  605. 
Ujiji,  174,  177,  191,  379,  589,  594. 
Umzila's  country,  362. 
Ungura,  District  of,  45. 
United  Presbyterian  Mission,  390,  415. 
Universities  Mission,  594. 
Unyanyembe,  190. 
Unyoro,  383. 
Usagala,  383. 
Usambara,  376. 
Usoga,  383. 

Vandals,  Colonization  of,  42. 
Vanderkampf,  Dr.,  334. 
Vasco  de  Gama,  Voyages  of,  62. 
V^asco  Fernandez,  Voyages  of,  65. 
Vermuyden,  Journeys  of,  72,  73. 


Index 


675 


Vey  Tribe,  214,  266,  268.  513,  624. 
Victoria  Falls,   17 1. 
Victoria  Nyanza,  180,  191,  376.  606. 
Vivi,  500,  504. 

\Va-!j;andas,  61 8. 

Waldeusiau  missionaries,  440- 

Walfisch  Bay,  359- 

Walrath,  Daniel  Eddy.  509. 

Walton,  Rev.  W.  Spencer,  364,  366. 

Wambutti  dwarfs,   193,  194- 

Wanketzens,  94. 

W'arra,  105. 

Warren,  Cjenrge,  408. 

Watt,  Travels  of,  86. 

Welle  Makua,  181. 

Weslevans,  342,  344,  350,  409. 

Whidah,  85,  240. 

White,  Miss  Grace,  490,  559. 

White,  Rev.  William  O.,  502,  503,  509. 

Whitfield,  Anna  E.,  525. 


Wild  beasts,  28 

Winteiboltom,  Travels  of,  86. 

Witch  doctor,   238,  239,  274,  545,  549, 

577- 
Withey,  Rev.  Amos  E.,  492,  5O1,  562. 
Witswatersrand,  572,  573. 
Wolseley,  Sir  Garnet,  656. 
Wood,  Sir  Evelyn,  652. 

Vambuya,  193,  194. 

Yorubas,  153,  154,  233,' 275,  400,  402. 

Zaire,  Dominions  of,  94. 

Zaire,  or  Congo,  56. 

Zambesi  Industrial  Mission,  366. 

Zambesi   River,   65,  170,  172,  181,  184, 

262,  373,  540. 
Zamfra,  152. 

Zanzibar,  173,  189,  376,  628,  631. 
Zulus,    216,    217,    278,   285,    286,   361, 

363,  627. 


